


One Week 'til Homeworld

by SteveDuck



Series: Travels with The Pilot [5]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), One Piece, Steven Universe (Cartoon), Toriko (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Awkward Crush, Canon-Typical Violence, Connie Wants to Prove Herself, Dimension Travel, Dreams, Dreamsharing, F/F, F/M, Family, Flashbacks, Friendship, Gen, Home Videos, Like He Did, Love Triangles, Major Original Character(s), Mystery, Party, Pilot Doesn't Want Her Hurting Herself to Do So, Pre-Episode: s05e29-32 Change Your Mind, Preparation, Psychic Entities, Training, Training Through Dreams, only a little bit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:54:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 64,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24406888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteveDuck/pseuds/SteveDuck
Summary: In just one week, Steven, Connie, and their allies are flying off to Homeworld for what could be the most dangerous mission of their lives. They know they have to be ready for the challenges on the distant planet, formulating a plan and training to a razor's edge. With such a threat on the horizon, the temptation is always there to train one's self into the ground. Thankfully, friends will always be around to occasionally lift you from the grindstone to make sure you're still human, or half-gem, or whatever.When the week is over, when the plan is formalized and equipment gathered, will Steven, Connie, the gems, and Pilot be mentally prepared for what promises to be a monumental undertaking.
Relationships: Bismuth/Pearl (Steven Universe), Blue Diamond (Steven Universe)/Original Character(s), Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe, Pearl (Steven Universe)/Original Character(s)
Series: Travels with The Pilot [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1368157
Comments: 78
Kudos: 7





	1. Reconnaissance

A chart appeared on a screen to coincide with the AI’s updates. “Flight response suggests an ETA of five minutes.”

The Pilot imperceptivity shifted the dial and joystick he held in each gloved hand. The grey skinned young man had the hood of his jacket down, making the relaxed smile, so long hidden behind a helmet, much more noticeable. “Tell me if I beat it.”

“You always do Pilot.” Axia replied.

“Thanks Axi, I mean mum.”

“You don’t have to force it. It’s only another name to call me.”

“But I want to call you it!” He beamed. “I love you.”

They were interrupted by Peridot climbing out of the engine room. “I don’t get it!”

“What don’t you get Peri?” Asked Pilot.

“Where is your form inertia module?”

“My what?”

“The form inertia module is a device on gem ships which allows the light forms of gems to remain stable at faster than light speeds.” Axia explained.

“Neat.” Pilot noted. “What makes you think I have one of those?”

“The fact my form isn’t being dragged behind your ship.” The gem responded dryly.

“Well we aren’t traveling faster than light to start with.”

“You said it would only take a few hours to get there.”

“Of course. But I’m not moving the ship through the universe until we get to are destination. I’m shifting the rest of the universe until our destination comes to us. We’re currently separated from spacetime.”

Peridot's eyes widened. “How do you get enough energy to do that? I looked around down there and you didn’t even seem to have a fuel source. It was all propulsion and computers.”

“I’m the fuel source, I contain an infinite well of warp energy. It’s why my warp suit doesn’t need batteries.”

“So that’s why you’ve been at the helm all this time, I knew you couldn’t be navigating at this speed.”

“Says who?”

“Nothing short of a computer could plot an accurate destination at this speed! You can’t even do basic math! There’s no way you could manually get us to-!”

“Hold that thought!” Pilot grabbed a rubber mallet and struck a spontaneously appearing circuit board. Suddenly, the waves of blue energy and streaming lines of blurred stars vanished from the front view screen replaced with a bone white planet, cracked in twain, held together by near limitless technological power. “Welcome back to Homeworld!” He announced. “Abandon all hope, individuality, and love ye who enter here.”

“What?”

“Dante’s Inferno. Forget it. Let’s take a look.” Pilot drifted his ship closer to the planet.

“Stop here!” Peridot commanded. “If an unidentified ship gets any closer it’ll activate the sensor grid. Look! There’s a sensor satellite!” Peridot pointed to a speck drifting across the screen.

Axia zoomed in. The device seemed to be flat and hexagonal, a transmitter of some kind installed on each corner. “I’m taking a read.” Axia stated. Glyphs and numbers flashed across a small side screen before coalescing into a model of the planet with the tight net of sensor satellites overlaid. “Over six hundred satellites, no sensor gaps wider than a square centimetre, no ship could pass through without being seen.”

“The satellites seem quite flimsy and most of their defenses are against laser fire,” Pilot observed, “your railguns would make short work of them. Punch a hole in their security?”

Peridot shook her head. “Each satellite feeds to a ground relay station. If communication breaks, interceptors are scrambled.”

“So, we have to take down the ground relay before we take out the satellite?”

“If we could make it to the ground relays, we wouldn’t have a problem.”

“I’ve hacked into the sensor array.” Axia stated.

“Way to go mum!” Pilot exclaimed. “Could you shut off the sensors?”

“Not without setting off a huge number of tripwires and putting a massive bullseye on us.”

“What about just a few satellites?”

“The settings route through a single server, it’s all or nothing I’m afraid. I could temporarily up sensor intensity for a while.”

“Kinda sounds like the opposite of a solution mum.”

“Higher intensity scanning increases the fidelity of the sensor output but redirects energy, increasing the size of the gaps in the sensor grid.”

“How big are we talking?”

“About two meters squared, not big enough for the ship but…”

“Some of us could slip through.” Peridot realized.

“Any other useful information?” Pilot asked.

“Give me a moment…” For a moment the AI was silent. Suddenly she gasped. “White Diamond has hooked the planet’s sensor array directly into her personal computer, her data security is atrocious, I’m already in.”

“What was her password?” Pilot smirked.

“White blue pink yellow white.”

“Are you saying she’s got a Simon says toy for a security system?”

“I suppose she relies on her untouchable aura to keep people out of her files.” Axia chuckled.

“Anything on where Roxilan or a black spindle is?”

“I’m searching the files, apparently Roxillan never leaves the Palatial Facet.”

“What’s the Palatial Facet?” Asked Pilot.

“It’s the hub of all gem kind!” Peridot exclaimed. “The seat of the diamonds’ power! The cumulation of all gem power and knowledge!” realizing the non-registration on Pilot’s face, she sighed. “It’s the place with the palace and big diamond robanoid that you saved everyone from.”

“Oh, I remember that! Fancy place. Any idea where a diamond might put a black spindle?”

“I-I’m not sure. I never got to see the Palatial Facet while I served Homeworld, I was always working on kindergartens, I’ve heard the diamonds have a treasury of items with potential future scientific interest.”

“Ok, any places that match that description mum?”

“Yes! White’s personal log mentions dropping an item who’s description matches that of a black spindle in the Diamond Treasury, She refers to it as her ‘little silver starlight’. She seems to refer to Roxillan by that term also.”

“Creepy.” Pilot stated.

“I might be able to get a visual.”

“How.”

“I think every single computer system in the Palatial Facet has been rewired to feed to and from White’s personal computer. She’s trying to cut out all of Homeworld’s bureaucracy.”

“She must be paranoid to micromanage this hard. She’s going to burn herself out.”

“Yes.” Axia agreed. “But don’t forget she is far more powerful than a normal human, it might be decades before the overload starts physically effecting her.”

“And the psychological burden plays into Roxy’s hands.”

Axia displayed the inside of a room, in glass cases were pieces of meteorite, half-built machines and there, near the center was a black spindle. “According to the building specs the walls aren’t particularly armored, I could probably break through with a couple of railgun blasts.”

“Gems are an aggressive culture; they don’t expect to be on the defensive.” He pointed at the pair of pale quartz soldiers on the screen. “Guards. To be expected.”

“Wait!” Peridot exclaimed. “Milky Quartzes don’t look like that. Those gems look like an Amethyst and a Jasper but white.”

Pilot’s eyes widened. “I knew something was up with White Diamond’s Pearl, she didn’t sound right. Mum, show us another camera, somewhere more populated.”

Axia switched the view to a square teaming with gems on their way to their next assignment, each and every one of them bleached of color. “What’s happening?” Peridot shrieked.

“It seems White Diamond has the power to subsume the personalities of other gems.”

“If she could control directly, why didn’t she do so to begin with?”

“Same reason she didn’t try to run the Palatial Facet personally before, all this micromanaging isn’t sustainable. Even this seems improbable, White Diamond can’t have the mental processing power to manipulate these many gems simultaneously. How’s she doing this?” He pointed at the screen. “Does the terminal that gem is at have a camera?”

“Yes.” Replied Pilot’s mother, switching the view over to the camera.

Pilot stared deeply into the whitened Peridot’s eyes. Beside him, Peridot grimaced at the mentally dominated member of her kind. “Very clever.” Pilot muttered.

“What is?” Peridot inquired.

“As well as her own abilities, White is transferring Roxillan’s powers of control. Perfect obedience with enough autonomy that White can afford to minimize the attention each gem needs to almost none. I think we have all the information we can get, are we ready to go?”

“Hang on Pilot!” Axia requested. “I’m making copies and backdoors of all these security codes, once I’ve compiled it, I should be able to control anything connected to a computer in the Palatial Facet. It will take a few minutes.”

“Will you be able to shut down the Diamond mecha?” He inquired hopefully.

“I’m afraid its systems seem to be controlled manually.”

“It was worth a shot.” Pilot glanced at Peridot, still gazing at her colorless double’s glassy eyes. “Mum, can you change to a skyline view perhaps.” The view shifted; the sun was setting on the Palatial Facet. Pilot held out his arm and clapped Peridot on the shoulder. “Well, there it is, Homeworld’s Palatial Facet. I must admit, it’s kind of beautiful.”

“When I was a kindergartner, I always wanted to go.”

“We’ll all be there this time next week.” Pilot noted. “If we succeed and Steven makes peace with White Diamond, I’ll fly you there every so often if you’d like.”

Peridot nestled in closer to him. “Wow, thanks.”

Pilot smiled and pointed. “Hey, what’s that.” His finger was directed at a cylindrical yellow tower whose core seemed to glow from within, visible due to several balconies that made the tower resemble a fish skeleton.

“It looks like one of Yellow Diamond’s solar power plants.”

“How oddly eco-friendly of her.” He smiled. “Then again, I suppose there aren’t many fossil fuels on Homeworld.”

Peridot nodded. “I’ve worked on a few in my time. They capture energy from the local star, storing it as light fluid. It’s then distributed as needed.”

“Light fluid?”

“That glowing stuff in the core. It can reach over ten thousand degrees kelvin! That’s so hot it needs to be held in place by electromagnets.”

“Almost the hottest thing from space.” He joked.

“Huh?”

“Never mind.” 

They chatted about Homeworld and engineering for a while longer, until Axia announced she had finished what she wanted to do. Pilot turned the ship around, and they flew home.


	2. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today is the day Steven presents the plan for taking back Homeworld. Greg has come to give technical support and fatherly advice, and not just to Steven.
> 
> Can Steven allay the conflicting concerns of the Crystal Gems and the diamonds? How will Pilot resolve the conflict with his apprentices when Roxillan's presence is confirmed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Minor swearing and brief reference to child abuse

Even though there was a whole week before the return to Homeworld, it was a busy morning for Steven. He had spent the past few days compiling a presentation to adequately display the plan for freeing White Diamond from Roxillan’s influence and finally making peace with her. This morning he was adding final touches when Pilot and Peridot returned from their scouting mission with new information and a memory stick with hundreds of stills from the Palatial Facet’s network of security cameras. With their help Steven spent the rest of the morning updating the presentation and rehearsing.

Steven inserted a picture of Homeworld’s setting star on the final slide. “And done!”

“Just in time.” Pilot added. “Your dad’s here.”

Greg’s van drove up the beach, turning around as the three of them came out to greet him. Greg got out of the driver’s seat, walked around and opened the back doors.

“Hey dad!” Steven called.

“Hey Stu-ball! Hi guys!”

“Good morning Greg!” Pilot replied.

“So Steven,” the boy’s father asked, “where do you want this?” he gestured to the standing projector in the back of his van. 

Steven stopped for a bit and thought. “We need it somewhere we can dim the lights,” he mused aloud, “but the diamonds can’t fit in the house.”

“You could set up in my ship.” Pilot suggested. “I could open up the back so the diamonds can watch from the beach.”

“Alright!” Steven agreed. “I’ll go get my laptop.”

“I’ll go turn my ship around.” Pilot announced. Both ran to their tasks

Greg started awkwardly unloading the projector. “Could you give me a hand with this Peridot?”

Peridot shrugged before raising her hand. The device instantly flew out of the van, knocking Greg over as it went to levitate beside the gem.

“Thanks Peridot.” He groaned as he got up to grab the collapsible screen parts.

Pilot got his ship in a position where the midday sun wouldn’t shine through the back door but there was plenty of beach behind for the diamonds to sit on. Steven brought his laptop (with the presentation) on board and his father and Peridot bought the projector set up. The four of them and one of Axia’s maintenance drones set about setting up the projector. Steven was about to start the first practice run when Pilot cocked his head. “Sorry, phone call.” He pointed to his ear. “I’ll take it outside.”

Pilot ran out the ship, down the beach, to where Greg had left his van. He sat between the open back doors and tapped the warp node near his ear. “Hi Kiki!”

“Hey Pilot!” The girl replied. “I’m just calling to see if we’re still good to go running tomorrow?”

“Yeah! Of course! Same time as the week before last?”

“Sure!” Kiki’s voice faded as neither were ready to talk about the true point of the call and neither wanted to hang up. Eventually Kiki broached the topic. “Hey, Pilot? About the other week, I’m sorry-.”

“It’s fine Kiki.” Pilot interrupted. “It’s not your fault, I’m just not ready yet.”

“But-!”

“Can we talk about it in person? Tomorrow?”

“Sure…” She stated. “See you tomorrow Pilot.”

“See you then.” Pilot hung up and put his head into his hand. Absentmindedly, he looked up and peered around Greg’s van. He saw a picture of Greg and Rose, the human halfway through a hot dog, the immortal gem smiling serenely, both very much in love. Pilot wondered if this was taken after Rose had resolved to have Steven, at the sacrifice of her eternal life, or if she expected to watch her human lover grow old and die in her arms. Pilot could see why Steven had so many issues around his mother, her face was empathetic enough that one could not judge her an emotionless monster, yet her smile proved an impenetrable barrier to her inner mind, had it been his own mother, Pilot may well have gone mad obsessing over such a picture.

He turned his head away, his vision fixing on Greg’s guitar. He grabbed the instrument and strummed a few chords. Finding its owner kept it meticulously well-tuned, Pilot began to play. His voice joined the melody;

…

_I don’t care if it hurts_

_I wanna have control_

_I wanna perfect body_

_I wanna perfect soul_

_I want you to notice_

_when I’m not around_

_You’re so fucking special_

_I wish I was special_

_But I’m a creep_

_I’m a weirdo_

_What the hell am I doing here?_

_I don’t belong here, oh, oh_

_…_

With his eyes closed and ears filled with the song, Pilot didn’t notice Greg listening to him until he spoke. “I haven’t heard that song before. Did you write it?”

Pilot’s eyes snapped open. “Uh… R-Radiohead.” He stammered. “Sorry Greg, I saw your guitar and…”

“Wanted to get some feelings out?” Greg offered. “That’s ok, that’s what instruments are for.”

“Thanks Greg.” Pilot looked down at the instrument and up again suddenly. “Greg? I couldn’t ask you a relationship question, could I?”

Greg sat beside the kelmep. “Sure, but wouldn’t you rather ask your own father?”

Pilot pursed his lips for a moment. “My dad’s history with women has been… well… How do I put it? After Monika died, my old man’s romantic interactions consisted mostly of strictly business dates and one-night stands, all above board and mutually agreed of course, but not really the best base for my question.”

“Alright then. What’s up?”

“Every week or so I go running with Kiki.”

“Ok.”

“Last time I went though, she tried to kiss me, her sister walked in though.”

“Alright. Do you like her?”

Pilot didn’t answer immediately, he plucked a few of the guitar strings before looking back at Greg. “I can’t Greg, not in the way she wants me to.”

“What do you mean?” Greg asked.

“My mind was prematurely matured by trauma. In kelmepi terms my body is still that of a child. I won’t have the right conceptual ballance to feel romantically attracted to someone until the end of my first century. I like her Greg, but I won’t be ready for the kind of relationship she wants until after she’s dead!”

“That’s… That’s rough Pilot. It’s probably best you tell her this. It would save a lot of heartache.”

Pilot nodded. “I don’t want to lose her as a friend.”

“Then say it soon, the longer you lead her on, the worse it will be when it comes out.”

“You’re right Greg. If only she had been born later, if only humans lived as long as kelmep.”

“To be honest a century long childhood sounds exhausting.” Greg smirked.

“Who knows, maybe Kiki will have a great granddaughter who likes running as much as she does.” He chuckled.

“As long as you don’t do anything creepy like follow her family around!” Greg joked.

“Yeah.” Pilot smiled. “In a way, Kiki really dodged the bullet. I mean, the wife of a soldier is no life for her.”

“Yeah…” Greg mused.

Pilot’s fingers found the chords and he played a final verse;

_…_

_She’s running out the door_

_She’s running_

_She run, run, run, run_

_Run_

_…._

Soon Steven was ready, and the team started to gather. Connie was dropped off by her parents, Meygareath came back from visiting the forge with Bismuth, the gems escorted the diamonds safely back from their wanderings. They all gathered on the beach. “Is this everyone Steven?” Blue Diamond asked.

The boy looked around. “Not quite. We’re still waiting on Mighty Spark. It’s not quite noon yet.”

Yellow Diamond folded her arms and leant back. She was high enough that only Blue could hear her properly as she mumbled. “I don’t know why we’re listening to these antics. You and I need to think of a proper way to get our power back.”

Blue scowled at her. “Steven has been working hard on this plan, the least you can do is listen! It’s not as if you have a plan.”

“Of course, I have a plan!” Yellow retorted slightly too loudly.

“You have a plan Yellow?” Steven called up. “What is it? Everyone’s ideas are welcome!”

Yellow smiled pridefully, planing and army tactics had always been a source of pleasure for her. “It’s quite simple Pink, first we have our fleet bombard the planet from orbit, targeting landing bays and anti-air arrays. This will open the way for the dropships carrying our armies to-!”

“We don’t armies.” Pilot pointed out.

“Or a fleet.” Blue added, holding back a glowering Yellow Diamond.

“What do we have?” Yellow barked.

“Pretty much all you see here.” Steven admitted.

Yellow sat back on the beach, shocked, she counted the gems before her and the one ship. One ship! Never had she been asked to invade with so little. “It is impossible…” She murmured.

“You’ve never been on the weaker side before, have you?” Yellow’s eyes scanned the group for who had spoken. The pearl. “I’m not accusing you of anything, but every war you’ve fought you’ve had the greater numbers and technological superiority. Pink and I, the Crystal Gems, and Steven, we’ve been winning against superior opponents for a very long time, it’s what we do. I know it seems impossible and it will be hard, but trust us, we know what we’re doing.”

A range of emotions coursed through Yellow. How could a pearl, as weak as they were, have hope where a diamond gave in? Perhaps, she thought, the pearl was defective? Perhaps she herself was defective? No, she was perfect, she simply wasn’t made for such an under-resourced attack. “In that case,” she phrased carefully, so as to save face, “I will defer to your diamond’s greater experience.”

“Thanks Yellow!” Steven sighed with relief.

At that moment, a portal opened between them through which stepped Mighty Spark. He turned back, tucking a cheque into his shorts’ pocket, waved to the alarmed distributor he had just done business with, and closed the portal behind him. “Hello everyone! I’m not late am I, I had to offload a fire spice bull I’d taken down.” He pulled off the goggles and gloves he had put on to protect against its capsaicin-laced breath, blood, and fur.

Steven looked at his phone’s clock. “Nope! You’re right on time!”

“Mighty Spark, you’re a hunter?” Greg asked.

“Only when I need food or money.” He looked around. “It’s a pleasure to see you all!” He looked up in surprise at the diamonds. “Hello there! I don’t think we’ve properly met! Mighty Spark, former Pilot!”

“Blue Diamond.” She replied curiously. “I hear you protected Steven on his visit to… Gloomy Island was it? Thank you.”

Amethyst leant over to Steven and whispered, “Wait what? It was mostly me and Warp Peridot protecting you when the humandrills attacked. What is she talking about?”

Steven rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly. “Blue seemed really interested in the part where Mighty Spark beat that pondweed snake. She asked lots of questions about him so I may have… embellished his role.”

Pilot chuckled quietly. “Chorus curse it Steven, my dad’s ego is big enough as it is.” They watched as Mighty Spark had been invited onto Blue’s shoulder, much to Yellow’s only partially hidden shock. Pilot breathed heavily. “I should probably go get him before we become step-cousins.” He walked up to the diamond’s foot.

Mighty Spark saw him first and smiled to Blue. “I suppose you’ve met my son, Pilot.”

“Of course.” She lowered his hand for Pilot to board before lifting him up. “He’s simply wonderful!”

Pilot and Yellow Diamond shared a look. Pilot’s face was mostly confused, Yellow’s showed horror. Both silently agreed, for the time being at least, they had to put an end to this nonsense. “I hate to interrupt you Casanova, but we do have a plan to explain.”

“Ah, yes. Sorry about that boy. Let’s go.”

As Mighty Spark prepared to jump down, a large blue hand gently bade him to stay. “A few minutes more wouldn’t hurt would it Spark?”

Hearing the unintentional use of his lost wife’s nickname for him caused an unusual leap in Mighty Spark’s chest. “I-I suppose not…”

Yellow gently but swiftly held her fellow diamond’s hand. “But Pink spent so long working on it. We shouldn’t keep her waiting.”

“Yes Yellow. You’re right.” Blue admitted setting Mighty Spark and his son down.

Steven ushered everyone onto the ship, the diamonds lay on their front outside so as to better peer in. folding chairs had been set up for those inside. The projector displayed the word “Welcome” in big white letters over a pink background.

When everyone was settled, Steven began. “Hi everybody, welcome to my presentation.” He signalled to his dad to continue the presentation, which he read from. “Saving the Earth and Homeworld! As we all know, White Diamond has declared almost all of us enemies of Homeworld, what we didn’t know for sure was why. Because of this and the fact none of us have seen Homeworld in at least a couple of months, Pilot, Peridot, and Axia went to take a look at Homeworld from orbit this morning. Pilot?”

Pilot stood up with a nod and went to join the boy. “Thank you, Steven. This is Homeworld’s Palatial Facet.” The slide changed to a screen shot of the skyline view. “From our observations, it seems that White Diamond has taken direct control of almost every operation within the facet, and, everyone we’ve seen.” The slide became the intersection crowded with white gems. “It seems White has used a power of some kind to control every gem in the facet. The reason for this cruel, short-sighted, and ultimately self-destructive behaviour from White is as we feared.” He revealed an image of the Diamond Treasury’s interior. “That, on the central platform, is a black spindle, for as long as one owns it, it attempts to drive the owner to greater acts of selfishness and cruelty. Thankfully it works conceptually, if someone manages to take the spindle without White’s permitation, White can be freed from its influence by a simple blow to the head.”

“Hitting White Diamond in the head is easier said than done.” Bismuth pointed out.

“True.” Pilot confessed. “We have a plan however, which Steven and I will go through soon. However, we have another problem.” The slide flicked to a familiar kelmep lounging in Pink Diamond’s tower, wearing a flowing pink gown, being waited upon hand and foot by Blue and Yellow Diamond’s bleached pearls. “For those of you who don’t know, this is Roxillan,. She is a kelmep of great manipulative ability, she is vain, hateful, utterly mad, and through White Diamond she currently rules the entire gem empire. By her request White has given her the title of the Silver Duchess.”

“White would never allow a lesser life form to rule!” Yellow exclaimed.

“A single kiss from Roxillan leaves most entirely besotted by her. Roxillan has altered White’s views and personality to her whim.”

“What can we do to stop her?” Asked Blue.

With a smile Pilot nodded for the slide to switch to simply the words “The Plan”.

“Steven?”

Steven took back the presentation, flipping over to a diagram with pictures of the people participating in the mission split into groups. “Our plan is quite simple and relies on three teams. The inside team consists of the diamonds and Mighty Spark.” Blue smiled while Yellow scowled at the thought of working with the self-important human. “The outside team,” Steven continued, “is Lapis, Peridot, Bismuth, Pilot, and Axia. Finally, me, Connie, Amethyst, Garnet, and Pearl make up the heist team. Everyone understand their team?”

There were nods and conformation. “Ok, but what are we doing?” Asked Lapis.

“Good question! First, we will fly to Homeworld in Pilot’s ship. Yes, Mighty Spark?”

“No offence but will the diamond fit on board?”

“They just about fit when we escaped Homeworld the first time. When we get to Homeworld, we will have to get past Homeworld’s sensor grid undetected. Axia can shoot down some sensor satellites but we’ll have to take out the Palatial Facet’s ground relay first.” He showed a diagram of the relay designed by Axia. “Thankfully, Axia can make some holes in the sensor grid big enough for the rest of the outside team to slip through. Bismuth, Pilot, since neither of you can fly, Peridot and Lapis will need to give you a lift. The ground relay has four signal pylons, all of them have to be broken, the relay also has automated defences so some of you will have to keep those busy.”

“So long as we aren’t detected coming in, they should mistake it for an attack from within.” Pilot elaborated.

“Once the relay is down, Axia can shoot down the satellites and Mighty Spark can fly the ship to meet the outside team at the Diamond Treasury.” The slide showed an image of the squat tower. “The black spindle is on the fifth floor, Axia will blast through the wall, the heist team will then jump in and pick it up.”

“When you get the spindle, try to avoid touching it as much as possible, my advice is to contain it in a bubble, and swap it amongst yourselves at least every few minutes.” Pilot cautioned. “Once it has been taken White will immediately know, she will be able to track the conceptual trail of the spindle, and until she gets that knock to the head, she’s going to stop at nothing to get it back. The best course of action is to destroy it as soon as possible. That is easier said than done. A black spindle can only be destroyed by high heat and pressure, concentrated radiation, or holy energies.”

“Holy energies?” Pearl enquired.

“We don’t have access to them. We don’t have any sources of high impact radiation beside the local star either. Our remaining option is serious heat, having Garnet set it on fire won’t cut it. I’m talking like a furnace or submerging it in a superhot liquid like lava. The most efficient option is to throw it into my ship’s warp reactor engines but keep the other methods in mind in case something goes wrong.”

“Hopefully nothing will.” Steven smiled. “Once the heist team has re-boarded, we will fly to White’s ship. the outside team will work to get the rest of us on board the ship. Once we have landed the blow to White’s head, everyone apart from me and the diamonds back off so we can explain the situation to her and get her to take back the diamonds, free Homeworld’s gems, and help cure the corruption!”

The slide showed the words “Mission Success!” with happy faces and a looping clip of a cat raising its forelegs in celebratory fashion above the image of Homeworld’s skyline.

Mighty Spark raised his hand. “What if something goes wrong?”

“That’s why the inside team is so important.” Pilot explained. “If White acts unexpectedly, it’s up to you and the diamonds to poof or otherwise restrain her until the heist team can claim the spindle.”

Yellow looked doubtfully at the human Pink had considered an effective opponent to the lustrous White Diamond.

“What about Roxillan?” Meygareath asked.

“If we manage to bring White to her senses, all of Homeworld will turn against Roxillan. We can work together to capture her. If you run into her before White has been dealt with, kill her and dispose of the resulting black spindle as I described.” Pilot’s eye caught the look on Greg’s face, his eyes ran over the faces of his apprentices, somehow their looks of determination was worse than Greg’s look of horror. “Apart from you guys. You just leave it to the rest of the heist team.”

Connie spoke up with an edge of offence. “Do you think we can’t do it? Stevonnie would have beaten her themselves if officer Braddock hadn’t shot her.”

“You can’t say that for sure.” He stated inflexibly. “Besides, that fight was on our terms, on Homeworld it will be on hers.”

“All the more reason for everyone to give it their all if we have to fight her.” She argued crossly. She stood up defiantly, looking him in the eye.

Pilot’s voice wavered. “Connie, let’s talk downstairs, please.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to cry in front of everyone.” He murmured.

“Ok.”

The two of them headed to the back of the ship. Pilot lifted a hatch previously seamlessly integrated with the floor. “Finish the presentation without us Steven.” He dropped into the engine room, followed by Connie.

Greg looked back. “Somebody should probably keep an eye on them.”

“I’ll go.” Pearl got up and went after them.

The audience spent an awkward few moments staring at the hatch as it closed. Steven cleared his throat. “So yeah… we have one week until we enact this plan, so that time is yours to memorise it and prepare in the way you see best. Any questions?”

In the combined engine room and Pilot’s bedroom Pilot turned and sat on his hammock, facing the others who followed him down. Pearl stood by the ladder back out, arms folded. Connie looked up at her suspiciously. “Why did you follow us down?”

“Threatening to break down and cry is a pretty big red flag.” Pilot explained.

“There was no need to be so dramatic Pilot.” Pearl chided. “You could have just whispered to Connie that you were lying to comfort Greg.”

Pilot stared at Pearl as if she had grown a second head. “Sometimes I forget how alien gems are. No, I wasn’t lying. Connie, you are not to try and kill Roxillan.”

“Why!?” She snapped angrily.

Pilot gaped in disbelief at the two of them. He took a shaking breath, trying to suppress his self-directed anger at his poor articulation. He got up and stomped over to a smallish closet. “Come here Connie. I want to show you my perspective.”

Connie stood beside him at the closet.

Pilot opened the door, revealing a small array of his clothes and a mirror set into the door. Pilot turned Connie by the shoulders to face the mirror. “What do you see Connie?”

“Me?”

“What are you?”

She twisted out of his grip to face him. “I knew it! You think that a human wouldn’t stand a chance against one of your kind! I haven’t trained just to- What is it?”

For the first time since their argument started, Pilot was smiling. “Is that what you think this is about? Thank Chorus! You had me worried! Connie, humans are unique, infinitely variable creatures and it is my pleasure to have one on this mission with me.”

“Then why don’t you trust me against Roxillan?”

“I do,” He assured her, “it’s just you’re a child.”

Aggravation returned to Connie’s voice. “I’m thirteen and a half!”

Pilot’s smile vanished. “Congratulations,” he stated sarcastically, “less than a decade until you’re an adult.”

“What about you, you hypocrite!?” The girl yelled to is level face. “When did you suddenly age a century?”

“After murdering my uncle as he forced himself on me and trying to kill myself.” Pilot detachedly replied. “Thanks for asking.”

Connie lost her words. “Wait, what?”

Pilot snapped back into focus realising what he had said, seeing Pearl suddenly move to put an arm around him. “Why didn’t you tell us?” She asked.

“What could you do? You can’t change what has happened?”

“Are you alright Pilot?” Connie asked.

“Just forget I mentioned it. The point I was trying to get across was that these are the years you decide who you want to grow up and be. Killing someone now makes some of those decisions for you, that’s why, even if somebody should kill my ex-mum, I don’t want you to be the one to do it. Is that fair?”

“Yes Pilot.”

“So you won’t try to kill Roxillan when we get to Homeworld?”

“I won’t.”

“You promise?” He grabbed her hand.

For a moment she hesitated, she bit her cheek and considered. “I promise.”

Pilot smiled with relief and squeezed the human’s hand. Connie would never forget the tear-stricken face, the expression in her pause of the traumatised child he was trying to save her from becoming.


	3. Training Dreams: First Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Steven sleeps he is visited by Archibald, the first Pilot, for the training they had arranged the night before. 
> 
> Steven soon finds out that fighting in your own mind is much different to fighting in the waking world. Your mind bends to your will, but descends into chaos when not paid attention to, and who is aware of their entire mind's operation? 
> 
> Under Archibald's guidance Steven must learn how to bring his memories to bare and wield the natural convolution of his mind in preparation for if he should meet the Hound again.

Steven opened his eyes. “Hey Pearl, should we really be letting the snake drive?”

Pearl looked down at the serpent on her lap, operating the Dondi with its newly acquired robotic arms. She shrugged. “He has a provisional licence.”

“But he still needs a fully licenced adult in the car!”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m here!” A voice in the back replied.

“Oh, right.” Steven conceded. He started to look out the window to watch the stars and doughnuts drift by before snapping his head back.

Archibald, the first Pilot, sat on the back seat of Greg’s car. “Good evening Steven!” He beamed.

Suddenly, Steven’s mind separated from his consciousness, he realized he was dreaming. Pearl and her ophidian companion faded from existence. The black sky, studded with stars and pastries, became a pinkish mist, almost hiding random ideas and memory fragments. The Dondi slowed to a gentle stop.

Steven cautiously looked out. “This is my subconscious.” He realized, the memories of his last encounter with Archibald suddenly flooding back to him.

“Indeed.” Archibald agreed. “If you’re to protect your mind you must know it. But there’s no rush, how was your day?” He got out of the car.

“It was ok.” Steven replied following him. As Steven shut the door behind him the vehicle vanished into the mist. The boy collected himself for a moment before continuing. “I showed everyone the plan Pilot, the gems, and I had been working on.”

“Excellent! Was it well received?”

“Mostly.”

“Mostly?” The old man inquired.

“Pilot added an extra instruction at the end we hadn’t brought up before, Connie argued a bit about it.”

“I see. What was the instruction?”

“He didn’t want us two to kill Roxillan.”

“An understandable request. Just imagine what your families would say…”

“I know. But I think Connie… I think she wants to prove herself.”

“And she thinks she can achieve that by killing?” He asked knowingly.

“No!” Steven instantly responded. “She just, I don’t know…”

“She probably fears that she’s the weak link.” Archibald explained.

“She isn’t-“

“I didn’t say she was,” he insisted, “but look at it from her perspective. She is the only fully human member of a band of immortal aliens. She has no enhanced abilities, no powers, just a pointy stick and the wits she was born with, must be hard not to feel inferior.”

“But Connie’s amazing! I’ve seen her cut through stone before!”

“Then maybe you should tell her how amazing she is. She’d be glad to hear it I’m sure.” They wondered together for a while more. Suddenly Archibald stopped. “Anyway, we should start your first lesson. Assuming, of course, you’re still up to it?”

“Yeah! Let’s do this!” Steven affirmed.

“Very well.” They came to a place where pink mist met fathomless blackness. “This is the farthest reaches of your subconscious. Beyond is the psychic void.”

“Psychic void?”

“The space between minds, empty and devoid of thoughts.”

Steven pointed into the void. “Then what are those specks?” Within the void were tiny, almost invisible motes of brown, grey, and orange mist, glowing like faint embers.

Archibald strained his eyes. “The minds of tiny animals. Most likely the mites on your skin and bedclothes.”

“Ew, remind me to wash extra hard tomorrow!”

“It won’t do you any good! Every human on earth has skin mites!” The old man chuckled. “Look on the bright side, only the extremely empathetic can see such small minds without trying.”

Steven smiled before pointing to what looked like a distant star which had appeared as they were talking. “What’s that?”

“Another mind.” Archibald explained, taking out a small tin telescope. He observed the distant mass of opalescent white mist. “A gem from the structure. If I were to guess, Pearl. She must be awfully close to be visible to the naked eye.”

“She’s watching me sleep again.” Steven grumbled under his breath.

“Pardon?”

“Nothing.” The boy assured. “So, why did you bring me out here?”

“Out here in the psychic void is where the hound lurks. They will seek to invade your conscious through your subconscious from the void and as you can see,” he walked out of Steven’s mind, standing on black emptiness, before walking back to re-join in the mist, “it is not currently a difficult task. The first lesson is to bar entry to your mind. Let us begin.”

Archibald re-entered the void before doubling back. Steven produced a shield, baring his way. “Like this?” He asked.

“A good start.” The old man noted, walking through the rippling shield. “A barrier will only keep so much out; the best defense is rejection. You must try to push me away.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’ve received worse knocks.” Archibald laughed, backing into the void, so far away he became a second star, this time neon blue. As he came back in, he built speed.

If a shield wouldn’t cut it then a bubble would probably be just as ineffective. Steven couldn’t jump or heal his way out of this situation. “Think Steven!” He muttered. “What else can you do? If only mom had some aggressive powers!”

He looked around the borders of his mind for something, anything to guard it with. He only saw fragments of half-forgotten memories. His half-forgotten memories. He grabbed at one intangible vision and it all came flooding back, the time he had played a watermelon seed spitting game with his father. Sure, he had remembered the watermelon Stevens, but he hadn’t paid much mind to the simple father-son time he had spent on that day for a while. While the memory made him smile it wasn’t useful for the defense of his psyche, so he let it re-enter his long-term memory and reached for another. Up on the temple’s hand, by the washer and dryer, Steven and Garnet talked about family, fusion, and love. Again, the memory made him smile but he couldn’t ward away the rapidly approaching Archibald with it. Third time was the charm.

Encased in a bubble, at the bottom of an ocean trench, but not alone. The girl he had seen a year prior, the girl who’s glowing bracelet he had kept safe, a girl he had gotten into this mess by accidentally encapsulating her in an apparently indestructible bubble with him after utterly failing to impress her with a five-speed bike. Unlike the other memories, where Steven felt like an outside observer, this time felt real, like he was reliving the moment. They were trapped at the bottom of the sea, he had just taken his foot off Connie’s face, she was staring at him on the verge of breaking down, but it was okay, he-

“It’s not okay!” Her cry disarmed him. This was it; he had ruined his chance and she would never want anything to do with a freak like him again. “You keep saying that, but you don't know what you're doing! Now we're going to suffocate or starve at the bottom of the ocean and only my parents will notice because no one else cares about me!” Wait, what? “I'm going to disappear without ever making a single friend.” There was no way somebody this smart and fascinating could be friendless, or at least not for any longer.

A warm red glow filled the bubble. “We could be friends.” Despite knowing the words he said and the story that came after, Steven’s voice still had the tentative hope it bore at the time.

The scene faded, Steven was over a year older, many years wiser, and about to reject an ancient Pilot from his mind in practice to defend against a face stealing purveyor of cryptic death threats. His subconscious took hold of the memory and Steven’s psychic body seemed to perform automatically. He held his hands to his sides forming a bubble around him.

Just as Archibald reached the edge of the pink mist, an entire ocean crashed out of Steven’s mind, complete with fish, kelp, and aquatic gem monsters. Archibald was washed away.

As the waters subsided Archibald walked back, hands up to show peaceful intent. “Excellent!” He yelled, laughing.

“How did I do that?” Steven exclaimed.

“Everybody’s rejection behaves differently; I suppose you were influenced by spending most of your life on a beach.”

“Sort of.” Steven shrugged.

“Ah, Love.” The old man intuited. “Of course. Say no more.”

“So, how was I?” The boy asked.

“Good for a first try. You can make your rejection stronger with practice, but I’d like to introduce you to the second layer of mental defense; mazing.”

“What’s that.”

“Well, sometimes you don’t want to immediately reject something trying to get into your head, it could be telepathic communications or some innocent psychic entity seeking refuge. Unfortunately, you can’t tell what something is until it’s in your head, that’s where mazing comes in. Mazing is the art of containing a mental visitor in an area where they can’t access anywhere important.”

“How do I do that?”

“Imagine somewhere you are familiar with, somewhere enclosed with at least one exit is easiest.”

Steven thought of his bedroom. Around them the room was constructed. “Sorry for the mess, it’s kind of in the middle of being rebuilt after the diamonds smashed it.”

“I slept in a barn at your age, no need to be self-conscious.” He looked about the room, his eyes drew to the sliding glass door and balcony, beyond which was the mist of Steven’s mind. “Can you turn us, so this window faces the void?”

“Sure.” The pink mist was replaced by blackness.

“Now something trying to enter your mind comes through here and can only leave by returning to the void.”

“What if they go downstairs?”

“Just loop it.”

“What?”

“Right, sorry.” Archibald replied. “In your mind, direction need not make sense, your stairs can simply lead back into the room, maybe you drop onto the balcony, or come out of your draws. Give it a try.”

Steven nodded. He ran down the stairs. A few moment later, there was a bang as Steven smashed out of his TV. “I was trying for my draws.” He complained.

“What matters is it works. Nobody’s getting any deeper into your mind without you having something to say about it.”

“Really?” Steven asked, surprised at his own quick progress.

“Well, after a few years practice.” Archibald replied. “As I said, barriers aren’t very effective inside minds, what’s better is confusion and repulsion.”

The room faded. “So, should I try again?” Steven asked, deflated slightly.

“Not tonight, you have the fundamentals for the rejection and mazing, the most important defenses, but both are useless without awareness. Tell me Steven, what do you suppose is happening on the other side of your mind right now?”

“I don’t know.” Steven realized.

“The hound could be sneaking in doing God knows what, yes?”

“Should I…”

“If it makes you feel more comfortable.”

Steven bolted across his mind; in an instant he had crossed it. Archibald was waiting for him when he got there; otherwise, nothing was amiss. “How did you get here before me?” Steven asked.

“In the mind, distance is an illusion. How fast you get somewhere is almost entirely based on how much of a hurry you’re in.”

Steven realised he was right, despite his fast pace there was no way he should have ran the breadth of his mind in mere seconds, not if the leisurely walk across his subconscious he had had with Archibald was any indication.

“Anyway,” Archibald continued, “the point of this exercise was to show you how unaware of your own mind’s processing you are. The only real way to get better is to explore in and around your head. I thought we could concentrate on that for tonight.”

So, for the following few hours, Steven and Archibald wandered around in the pink mist. Steven would find a cluster of memories and either seal or rearrange them. Archibald would instruct or encourage as needed.

As they passed through the diverse environments of Steven’s head, Steven lost track of time, for all he knew, he could have been exploring his mind for weeks. Eventually, Archibald pulled out a silver pocket watch and gave it a look. “We should get you back to the seat of your consciousness, it’s almost morning.”

“Alright.” Steven replied. They walked back towards his mental core, Steven knew they were headed the right way, though he wasn’t sure how he knew, there were no landmarks in the mist. “How did I do tonight?” He asked.

“Honestly, you surpassed my expectations. Are you sure this is your first time?”

“We’ll I’ve accidentally entered other people’s dreams before.” Steven admitted.

“Really?”

“Yeah, mostly when I was younger.” Steven looked away embarrassedly. “I used to lose control of my mom’s powers all the time.”

“I fought alongside your mother for over three centuries,” Archibald said thoughtfully, “I never saw her display such empathetic powers.”

“Really? I guess maybe since she was a gem she didn’t sleep as much.”

“Maybe. Perhaps it’s a power all your own.”

“Yeah.” Steven grinned. “Perhaps!” After a moment for the thought to settle, Steven reiterated his original question. “But seriously, was there anything I did badly? I hadn’t meant to come out of the TV.”

Archibald thought for a moment before answering. “The incident with the television was a minor hiccup in some of the best mazing a have ever seen from a first timer. You built your room perfectly on your first try!” He nodded proudly. “If I had to fault you somewhere, I’d have to say you took a while to reach for loving memories to empower your rejection. I suppose it’s to be expected.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, look at you, son of Pink Diamond, functional leader of the Crystal Gems, must feel like the weight of the universe is on your shoulders.”

“Sometimes.” Steven admitted.

“Just try to remember not every problem is yours to solve. Also don’t hesitate to let your friends take some of the burden.”

“Okay. Is there anything I can do while I’m awake?”

“Hm?”

“To get better at protecting my mind?”

“Oh! Eat healthy, drink water, get sleep. Some people meditate. But most importantly, have fun!”

“What?”

“You know, play games with your friends, spend time with your dad, go on a date with Connie. It’s much harder to defend a mind damaged by stress or slowed by boredom.”

“I guess that makes sense. I’ll do that kind of stuff when I have time.”

The seat of Steven’s consciousness, shaped to resemble Connie, came into view. “When you have time?” Archibald parroted. “There’s a full week before you go back to Homeworld, is there not?”

“Well, I have to prepare, don’t I?”

“Do you? You’re hardly going to make a significant improvement to your abilities in seven days. Stress is going to hamper you far more than missing a couple of training sessions.”

“I suppose.” Steven nodded, unconvinced. He headed to the open arms of his girlfriend “Goodnight Archibald.”

“Goodnight Steven.” He exited Steven’s mind, giving him the space to wake up and prepare for the day.

At the kitchen counter Pearl sensed a slight suspicion in the glances of the boy sat opposite her, eating cereal. “Is everything alright Steven?” She asked.

“I’m alright Pearl.” He smiled. He thought for a moment, having another spoon of his breakfast. “Pearl,” he asked, “you didn’t watch me sleep last night, did you?”

Pearl turned away to wash a dish Amethyst had left from the night prior. “After you told me not to? O-Of course not!” She replied slightly too quickly. “What gave you that idea?”

Steven uncertainly considered how his suspicion had manifested. “I had a dream…”

“What about?”

“You and I were in my dad’s car and a snake was driving and… No, I can’t remember. It’s gone.”


	4. Keeping Sharp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the return to Homeworld fast approaching, combat training is even more vital than usual for Steven and Connie. For once, Connie's parents aren't busy with work, so they are coming to watch. 
> 
> Pilot's family will also be in attendance, Mighty Spark and Meygareath, the creator of Connie's paper sword. One has to wonder, who did the papersmith make the sword for in the first place?

Connie and came down to breakfast to see that neither of her parents were dressed for work. She knew her mom had some time off today, but she was sure her father had work at the security firm that day. “Morning!”

“Good morning Connie.” Her mother smiled, holding her morning coffee.

“Morning kiddo!” Her father nodded.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for work dad?”

“I just got a call giving me the day off!” He revealed. “The firm made a scheduling error.”

“Oh cool!” Connie exclaimed. “In that case, I was wondering if you and mom wanted to come watch me train with Pearl?”

Priyanka and Doug had yet to attend one of their daughter’s sword training sessions, their schedules rarely permitted their presence at the arranged times and truthfully, seeing Connie fight always scared them somewhat. What if she hurt herself? What if it was making her violent? What if she got overconfident and careless? The worries were improbable, they knew, they had seen their daughter fight humandrills and cluster experiments, her confidence outside of combat had only grown with time, and she was still the kind, conscientious girl she had always been.

“If you want us to.” Priyanka replied. “What prompted you to ask now?”

“Mighty Spark and Meygareath are going to be there. Meygareath hasn’t seen Pilot fight before.”

Doug and his wife remembered the half-kelmep from the night a few days ago. The Pilot’s half-sister, she had apparently been the root of the raids in Koras Maatrbhoomi. Despite it she had been polite and well mannered when she was introduced to them, despite the cultural barrier. She had asked after their professions almost as soon as she had her names, which they had considered rude until Pilot explained that river kelmep used professions as part of full names. Doug was still rather gratified to have his (in his opinion mundane) job referred to as “Sentinel”.

“Well, if Pilot’s family is going, I suppose we should come too.”

Therefore, once Priyanka, Doug, and Connie were ready, all three of them got into the family car and drove down to Steven’s house.

When they got to their destination, Connie jogged up the steps, her parents walking behind her.

Having heard her footsteps, Steven opened the front door for her girlfriend. Behind him, Pilot and Meygareath were deep in hushed conversation at the kitchen counter. By the warp pad Pearl and Mighty Spark were discussing possible methods to negate Pilot’s natural aversion to instantaneous travel. Steven greeted his latest arrival. “Hi Strawberry.” 

“Hey babe.” She replied. “I was wondering if my parents could come watch us today?”

Steven looked around the door and waved as Doug and Priyanka approached before leaning back to call out. “Hey Pearl! Can Connie’s mom and dad come with us today?”

Pearl turned from her conversation with Mighty Spark. “I suppose so!”

Steven turned back with a smile before remembering. “Oh! Connie! Meygareath wanted to see the paper sword before we went up.”

“Sure.” She entered the house with her mother and father, unfolding the blade and approaching the kelmep. “I had almost forgotten that you made this sword. It’s very good.”

Pilot and Meygareath had fallen silent as the girl stepped through the threshold. The papersmith’s eyes had locked onto the blade the instant it had been drawn. When Connie offered up the weapon, she took it from her and turned it in her hands, eyeing the gold Conceptual glyphs which spelled out her name. Meygareath turned an eye to her half-brother. “I thought you said you didn’t tell them it was my work.”

“You are the only papersmith they’ve heard of.”

She returned to looking over the blade, searching for signs of amateurish handling, she found none. “A sword isn’t a kelmepi weapon, most kelmep fought with spears, daggers, and darts, the sword was considered a human’s weapon. You say this sword is good, it is middling by my standard. I made it centuries ago, for my mother.”

“This is your mom’s sword!?” Steven exclaimed.

“Yes.” She answered. “My only question is how it came to be in Connie’s possession. I have heard you found it on a battlefield in another world and that it was brought there as a bargaining piece by Roxillan, but even after all she’s done, I can’t believe the mirwosva ah labakir would pillage my mother’s tomb!”

Shocked by Meygareath’s sudden anger and use of language, Connie verbally stumbled for a moment. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t know!”

Meygareath shook her head, having regained her cool head rapidly. “No. I am sorry. You weren’t to know.” She gave Pilot a critical glance.

“You knew!?” Priyanka accused Pilot.

“I knew Meygareath’s mother was a human mercenary, I recognized Meygareath’s mark on the sword, those factors combined with the weapon’s apparent age made it a rather simple deduction that Meygareath made the sword for her mother. What I didn’t realize was that it was supposed to be buried with her.”

Meygareath placed the sword back in Connie’s surprised hands. “Don’t you want your mom’s sword?” Connie exclaimed.

“Connie,” the papersmith smiled wistfully, “Daughter of the Doctor and the Sentinel. From what Pilot has told me, you seem to be growing up to be a swordsman, it is not the safest profession.” Her mind wandered. “This sword protected my mother long enough for her to die of old age. I hope it will protect you until I can craft you a better one.”

“You’re going to make me a sword?” Connie realized happily.

“Of course. I’ll just take some measurements. That sword is a bit big for you.” Meygareath took out a long white ribbon and a notebook.

“You might want to go talk to Bismuth.” Pearl suggested.

“Bismuth?”

“Yeah! She makes weapons too.” Steven explained. “Maybe you can work together.”

“Perhaps.” The half-kelmep mused. “Can you introduce me to them after training, Woman-Pearl?”

“Of course.” The gem replied, having given up on convincing the papersmith that she didn’t have to specify her personhood as kelmepi culture apparently dictated with so called ‘object names’.

“Wonderful. Now stand up straight Connie.” Meygareath stretched the ribbon along Connie’s full height, followed by her leg length and the span of her hips. She then moved on to measure Connie’s shoulder width, the length of Connie’s arm and forearm, and the span of her hand. The ribbon she used was bare, without numbers or delineations, the measurements must have been significant however as after each one Megareath made a note in her book. Steven spied curiously into the notebook only to be met with Conceptual glyphs. Meygareath put her ribbon away. Connie relaxed. Meygareath took out a very thin paintbrush, already adorned with a drop of white paint. “Hold out your arm.”

Realizing she wasn’t done Connie did as Megareath asked. Maygareath transferred the fleck of white into a dot on Connie’s arm. “What are you doing?” The girl asked.

“Trying to find a color which your conceptual reflection balances well on.” She put the tip of her brush back into her pouch bringing it out with a dot of black paint she placed below the white dot.

“Her what?” Doug questioned.

“Overly complicated and slightly religious way of saying that a certain color and pattern will let her, there isn’t really an English word for it, ‘feel’ her sword I suppose.” Pilot explained. “It makes it easier to gain familiarity.”

“Do you remember when I did this for you?” Meygareath smiled as she focused on her work.

“Glossy aquamarine and matte sable.” Pilot grinned. “You never did make me anything with that knowledge.”

“You were far too young for anything I could make.” She chuckled.

“Does that mean you’ll make me something now?” He mused.

“Maybe. Your color may have changed though.”

“It’s only been a few years.”

“Yes, but blue is such a feminine color.”

“I don’t think that will be a problem.” He replied, smirking at the confused looks of the humans, not old enough to remember a time before blue being the classic boy’s color.

“There we go.” Meygareath moved her hand away to observe her minute handiwork. On Connie’s arm was a triangle of the three primary colors and a diamond of white and black and matte and glossy grey. The kelmep stared for a moment. Suddenly she brought out her brush and, in her notebook drew a straight line of silver paint. She then painted a teal helix wrapped around it. “That should be all I need. Let’s not keep you from training any longer.”

Thus, Steven, Pearl, Connie, Pilot, and Mighty Spark stepped onto the warp pad. “It’s ok,” Connie called to her parents, “the warp pad’s perfectly safe!”

“So long as you aren’t conceptually aligned to vehicles!” Pilot specified, his father already trying his best to secure him.

Doug and Priyanka got onto the pad, followed by a quite nervous Meygareath. “Will this be like last time?” She asked.

“Yes.” Pearl nodded.

Meygareath eyed the smooth stone around the warp pad, the stable shore she had just willingly stepped into a sea of chaos from.

Pearl recognised her anxiety. It was the same fear she had failed to notice in a very young Steven, no more than eight, before warp travel had become routine for him, even before the time his eyes would light up with wonder when she whisked him away on a gem mission. In the eyes of the papersmith, Pearl recalled a time when the warp, corrupted gems, even she herself were sources of fear for the boy she cared so much for. Pearl gently held Meygareath’s trembling hand. “It’s ok to be scared of something you don’t understand, but I’m here.” She whispered softly. “I’ve used the warp for thousands of years, I won’t let anything go wrong.”

The half-kelmep squeezed her hand in return. “Thank you. I’m ready.”

“Is everybody else ready?”

With the other’s confirmation she activated the column of blue light.

As they floated through the warp, Doug couldn’t hold back his excitement. “Wow! This is incredible! Connie, you do this every time you have your sword training!?”

“Every week!” His daughter beamed, happy to see her father having fun.

Priyanka watched her husband; he was always such a big kid with things like this. Sometimes it felt like he was one wacky thought away from running off on a gem mission along with his daughter. She couldn’t be exasperated, that sense of wonder had been what made her younger self so infatuated by him. Even now, she couldn’t help but smile. She turned away, noticing Mighty Spark repeatedly pulling his son down as the kelmep threatened to be sucked away into the void. “Are you alright Pilot?”

“Yep!” He replied. “This level of going wrong is fairly tame for me!”

Pearl, who had been sharing the doctor’s look, turned her attention to Pilot’s half-sister. Meygareath threatened to crush Pearl’s hand with how hard she gripped it, she leant in close and her eyes were screwed shut.

“You know,” Pearl mused quietly, “the inside of the warp is quite beautiful. It would be a shame not to look.”

Meygareath shrunk in closer to the gem, she did however take a peek. The blues in waves, breaking into fractals upon corresponding waves, light surrounded her. Still holding Pearl’s hand, she moved out a bit. she felt the lack of floor beneath her, but she didn’t feel like she was falling, indeed she felt like she was floating, a scrap of paper in the breeze.

“Not too bad now, is it?” Pearl beamed proudly.

“No! It isn’t!” Megareath drifted, almost dancing, holding onto the gem’s hand.

Suddenly, Pearl pulled her back in and held her close.

Megareath blushed. “Pearl…” Her hearts weren’t ready for love, she was still getting to grips with her new life. Yet, the experience of the warp had made her so high on endorphins that if Pearl had asked then, she was unsure if she could say no.

Gravity abruptly returned as the ground met their feet. Meygareath realized if Pearl had not braced her, she would have fallen. Realizing that was the reason the gem had held her, Meygareath suddenly felt quite silly.


	5. Training and Dueling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven, Connie, and Pilot have brought their families to watch them train for the upcoming fights on Homeworld. Doug, Priyanka, and Meygareath don't know what to expect, Mighty Spark has something that might push an otherwise deadly future fight in the young combatant's favor. 
> 
> when the trainees move from holopearls to sparing with one another, will Connie be able to keep her lingering resentment for Pilot's words out of her swordplay and her fusion?

Having landed on the sky arena, the group made their way up the stairs. Meygareath, Connie’s Parents, and Mighty Spark filed into the seats, the rest stood in the arena proper.

“You aren’t going to join us today Mighty Spark?” Pearl asked as her students did stretches.

“Not for now.” He replied. “I’m curious to see how Pilot is doing.”

“No pressure then.” Pilot responded. “So, what’s on the agenda today Pearl?”

“We will start with multiple opponents. Could you join Steven and Connie?” Pearl stood by the seats to watch over the lesson.

Pilot went to the middle of the arena and stood back to back with his apprentices. Steven summoned his shield, Connie drew the paper sword, Pilot raised his fists.

“Wait!” Meygareath exclaimed. “Where’s Pilot’s weapon?”

“I don’t have one!” He called back.

“You don’t have one?”

“Well I have some flashbangs.” He tossed a couple in his hand. “Anything bigger would slow me down.”

Slightly uncomfortable, Meygareath gave no reply.

Pearl’s gem shone, creating a small horde of sword toting holo-pearls to surround the combatants. “Is this safe?” Priyanka asked.

“Of course,” Pearl replied. “holo-pearls are training tools designed to avoid harming students.”

“Oh good.”

“At least since I updated them.” Before Priyanka could react, Pearl was addressing a holo-pearl who had lagged behind the others. “Confirm difficulty level.”

“Difficulty level: expert mode, level sixty-eight plus one! Three combatants detected!” The hologram announced.

“Why did you phrase the level like that?” Mighty Spark asked.

Pearl gave an exasperated sigh. “Pilot found the actual number too humorous to fight effectively. He won’t explain why.”

Pilot caught the judgmental stares of the adult humans. “Look! I only know of a handful of numbers above two, I tend to have strong emotional connections to them!”

“Are we ready?” Pearl interrupted. “Then begin!”

Every holo-pearl’s eyes turned red at once. They descended upon their targets.

Before the two who had targeted him could react, Pilot was above them. He grabbed them by the hair, dragging them headfirst into the floor with enough force to take them down instantly. As the pair were defeated two more took their place, he leapt backwards from the new holo-pearl’s swings.

Connie had artfully deflected the three blades which beset her. She rolled between her enemies’ legs, cutting one down on the way through. She sliced through another holo-pearl as she stood, she swung at the third to clash with its saber.

Steven pushed back against the two opponents looking for openings on his shield. Suddenly, a bolt of blue light arched over his shield and Pilot landed behind him, taking cover. Steven raised his shield, repulsing the holo-pearls who had lunged after his ally.

“I brought you some friends Multiverse!” Pilot grinned.

“I already had plenty!” Steven replied, now fending off four opponents.

“Let me help you then!” Pilot launched himself low from under Steven’s shield like a bullet. He grabbed two of the holo-pearls by the ankle, making them fall forward. Steven, knowing the maneuver, swung his shield, striking both hard across the face, downing them instantly.

“Opening detected!” The remaining two holo-pearls announced thrusting towards Steven’s exposed body.

“Detect this!” Pilot retorted, sweeping his legs and knocking them both onto their backs. Instantly he straddled one, punching its lights out. Steven threw his shield into the other one’s chest. “Nice one Steven!” Pilot stood up, offering a fist bump.

“Guys! If you wouldn’t mind!” Behind them, Connie was fending off five holo-pearls at once from all directions.

Steven summoned a new shield as he and Pilot ran to her aid. Pilot got ahead of Steven and, at warp speed, slipped into the fray, picked up Connie and slid out the other side. He set the girl down. “There we go.”

“Thanks!” Connie replied. “For a moment there I thought I’d have to show you and Steven up by taking them all on single handed!”

“We’ll leave you to it next time, shall we?” Pilot joked, turning back to throw a handful of flashbangs at the holo-pearls. He warped around to behind Steven, elbowing a hologram trying to get the drop on the boy in the face. he clapped his hands around its head and finished with a fierce headbutt.

The explosives threw the remaining opponents onto Steven’s expanded shield. He tossed them up into the air. Dazed, confused, and suddenly airborne the remaining opponents were helpless as Connie jumped over Steven to cut two. Coming the other direction, Pilot slammed the heads of two more together as he passed. Steven dismissed his shield and finished the final one with a punch to the gut empowered by his formidable strength.

Pearl clapped as the three students caught their breath. Once Priyanka, Doug, and Meygareath stopped gawking, they followed her example. “Very well done! That was about six seconds faster than your last record!”

“Thanks Pearl!” Connie smiled.

“Mighty Spark,” Steven inquired, “is something wrong?”

“No Steven.” He replied. “I was just thinking. It’s all well and good to list modes and challenge levels, but I would like to get a feel for how powerful you three have gotten. Pearl, can I have a turn? Same number of opponents, same difficulty.”

“Of course.” Pearl replied. “Why don’t you three take a rest?”

They nodded, siting in the audience, drinking some water.

“Well, this is going to be disheartening.” Pilot stated.

The holo-pearls reappeared, now standing around the single man in the arena’s center. He took a deep breath and grinned. “A little exercise is good for a man my age. I’m ready when you are Pearl!”

The holo-pearls flew in. Holographic steel met holographic steel in the center, the tracking software had lost him in an instant. He stood outside the stalled melee, he raised his fist and threw his first punch. Six holo-pearls flew off the edge of the arena, vanishing as they went out of bounds.

The other holo-pearls closed the distance. The first one met him seconds before it had predicted. He caught it by the wrist and slammed it into its cohorts, taking out three opponents in addition to itself. He was behind two who had turned to his previous victims. He slammed their heads together before taking a step forward and delivering two brutal punches to the final holograms.

“I must be getting old.” Mighty Spark muttered. “Way back when, that first punch would have gotten them all.” He walked back to the seats, where the audience (apart from Pilot) stood agog, he wiped off the barest hint of a sweat. “I see my fears were for nothing. That was a hard fight.”

“Don’t patronize us dad.”

“I’m not.” He admonished. “You three are definitely ready for combat.”

“Not that you should go looking for trouble on Homeworld!” Pearl reminded them.

Mighty Spark sat back in his space and reached into his cargo shorts’ pockets. He pulled out a paper bag and a water bottle, obviously too large to have been contained within the pocket.

“How did you…” Doug began to ask, his voice trailing away when he realized magic shorts were the least odd thing about the man.

“You’d be amazed what fits in a pair of cargo shorts.”

Pilot pointed at the bag. “Really?”

Mighty Spark took out a piece of dried meat. “Protein is good for you after exercise, helps with muscle recovery.”

“You’re eating battle jerky _after_ the fight?”

“It’s baked, not dehydrated.” He replied, taking a bite.

“Oh, alright then.” Pilot acquiesced.

“What’s battle jerky?” asked Steven.

“And why does it matter how it’s made?” Priyanka added.

Mighty Spark washed down his bite of jerky with a long drink of water. “Battle jerky is jerky made from a fire spice bull. They come from a place called Battle Island, home to a plant known as the battle flower. Battle flower pollen causes an increase in aggression if it’s breathed in making the animals of Battle Island unusually violent. Fire spice bulls are one of the few creatures that eat the flowers and are thus even more aggressive. The pollen is so small that many particles find their way into the bull’s lymph and blood, therefore the jerky has similar effects to the flower if eaten. Baking the jerky denatures the pollen so it doesn’t have the effect.”

“So, people eat it to fight more aggressively.” Connie summarized. “Does it have any side effects?”

“Well, for the minute or two it lasts only the most strong-willed people can maintain a sense of reason or restraint. You also burn calories very quickly so you feel tired when the effect wears off and taking more than a couple of bites without eating something else and taking a rest can lead to fainting or autophagy at worst. That’s why I only eat the dehydrated stuff if I’m about to fight something properly dangerous. Speaking of, you kids should probably hold onto some in case you get into a pinch on Homeworld.” Out of his pocket he brought out three vacuum sealed packets made of clear plastic, each containing a single small strip of volatile battle jerky.

Pilot took his piece as if it may explode, closing his hand around it to make it disappear. “Thanks.”

Connie’s face betrayed distraction as she took hers, she wondered what sort of threat someone as strong as Mighty Spark could consider “properly dangerous”.

“You aren’t to eat that jerky unless it is an emergency!” Her mother ordered seriously. She may not have the world knowledge to understand how the biology of the fire spice bull worked but her medical wisdom let her understand what autophagy meant.

“Yes mom!”

When Steven took his piece he asked, “What does it taste like?”

“Spicy.” Mighty Spark replied. “Fire spice bulls have capsaicin laced into all their tissues as a defense mechanism. It can even breathe a natural form of pepper spray. Here, have some of the inert stuff.” He offered his paper bag.

Steven and Connie each took a small piece and ate them. “Hot!” Steven gasped, his face flushing as he grabbed his water bottle, glugging furiously.

“Are you alright Steven?” Connie asked, sweating noticeably with a moderate blush but otherwise composed.

“Yeah!” Steven replied. He recomposed himself to try and look tough in front of his girlfriend. His twin tear tracks made it unconvincing. “How can you just eat it like that?”

“I don’t know.” Connie shrugged. She took a sip of water. “I guess I just have spicy food more often. I suppose I have a resistance.”

“Speaking of resistance,” Pilot considered, “are you guys rested enough to go again?” He gestured to the arena.

“Sure!” Connie smiled.

“Give me a moment.” Steven took a final swig of water. “Alright, let’s go!” He cheered.

“Do you want to try against the holo-pearls again?” Pearl questioned.

“Why don’t we mix it up with some single combat?” Pilot suggested. “Me versus you and Connie versus Steven.”

“Actually Pilot,” Connie interjected, “can we fight against you?”

“Err… Alright.”

“Great!” Connie smiled. She held her hand out to her boyfriend. “Steven?”

“Sure.” He reached out to hold her hand then stopped. “Heads up Mighty Spark!”

“Thanks boyo!” The man replied.

“Where were we?” He smirked.

With a laugh, the pair danced briefly before combining into their fusion. “You ready mentor?!” Stevonnie demanded fiercely. They grinned ferociously.

“Sure thing, Hotshot.” He moved calmly to the center of the arena and beckoned them. “You seem a little competitive today.”

“Maybe I’m just excited to show Connie’s parents what I can do!” truthfully, the reproach Pilot had given Connie about killing Roxillan still struck a bitter chord and stung within the fusion.

“I see.” Pilot recognized. “Well I hope you don’t expect me to let you win because your family’s here.”

“I was about to say the same thing to you.” Stevonnie created a shield and span the paper sword in their hand to align it.

“Pearl, would you mind calling us in?”

Pearl nodded and stood aside to preside over the fight. “Begin!”

Immediately, Stevonnie took the offensive, lunging forward with a thrust. In an instant Pilot had sped to their right and lined up a punch. The fusion warded his fist away with a sweep of their sword, causing him to back off.

“Awfully reckless to attack first when you have the defensive advantage.” Pilot noted.

“Pauses are to assess your opponent.” Stevonnie responded. “I already know you well enough!”

“Using my own lessons against me?” He questioned. “Well I’d hoped you’d remember the first strike holds the biggest risk.” He was suddenly gone.

Stevonnie’s warrior’s instinct perked up and they turned just in time to meet Pilot’s foot with their shield.

Pilot went to bounce off the shield but lost his footing as his launchpad vanished.

Griping the paper sword in both hands, Stevonnie swung the blade, aiming to strike Pilot across the chest with the flat. Stevonnie felt no resistance on their sword, in the millisecond their own weapon blocked their view, Pilot had vanished. There was a poke on the side of the fusion’s head. They instinctively turned their head. Stevonnie had only a moment to recognize that Pilot was squatting on the point of their sword.

“Hi.” Pilot smirked before clocking Stevonnie on the cheek. The punch was pulled but the symbolic injury was grievous.

Stevonnie held out their sword as far as they could without sacrificing grip. Pilot stepped from the point of the blade to the edge. Stevonnie flicked, twisted, and shook the blade, but Pilot’s impeccable balance and footwork meant he stuck to the sword like glue. “Why aren’t you doing anything?” They asked crossly.

Pilot jerked his thumb toward the audience. Stevonnie glanced over. While Pearl and Mighty Spark looked on like business as usual, Meygareath and Connie’s family were obviously agitated. “Do you want to stop?” Pilot asked, loudly enough that the audience heard him.

“No, I’m fine.” With their free hand, Stevonnie tried to knock him off with a punch.

Pilot leapfrogged over the fist before driving his feet into the crook of Stevonnie’s elbow. Stevonnie dropped the sword. Trying to repair their mistake, Stevonnie reached for the blade only to find Pilot standing, griping the weapon backwards. “You know I’d throw this away or break it if this was an actual fight, right?” He twitched nervously from holding a blade for so long.

“Yeah.” The fusion begrudgingly consented.

With the mutual understanding attained Pilot split from the duel to hand the weapon to its maker. He came back to his apprentice. “You are disarmed. Do you surrender?”

“I’m part gem,” Stevonnie declared, summoning a shield, “I am never disarmed.”

Pilot eyed Stevonnie up and down. There they stood, shield in one hand, clenched fist in the other, demanding their mentor fight them. Was history repeating? Regardless, he couldn’t be prouder of them. Over the time he had known them, they had grown in confidence and determination. A grin cracked his face. “Must be a nightmare at airport security.”

The fusion huffed and charged him.

Pilot sighed. For all their confidence and determination, Pilot much preferred their good humor. He knew exactly what this was about and wanted to comfort them in their abilities, but at the same time he knew that if Stevonnie won this fight Connie would take it as a sign she was ready to face Roxillan. Why couldn’t that girl see it wasn’t about if she could? There was no helping it, Stevonnie had to stumble here so Connie wouldn’t fall on Homeworld, Pilot had to win this fight.

Pilot ducked under a haymaker and pushed Stevonnie past him. The fusion stumbled for a moment before regaining their footing and turning around to meet Pilot’s attempted grab in kind. The combatants tried to grapple each other, Pilot was more experienced and dexterous, but Stevonnie had reach and was much stronger than him. For a moment Stevonnie won out and they attempted to throw Pilot over them, however, Stevonnie’s grip was looser than they thought.

With a solid kick to the chest, Pilot was free of Stevonnie’s grasp and had launched himself into the air. Pilot span as he dropped, his leg out like a headsman’s axe. Recognizing the imminent attack, Stevonnie pointed their shield for the sky and launched themselves to meet it.

Although both were moving with great speed, Stevonnie’s momentum was much greater than Pilot’s. They buffeted him out of the way with their shield.

Pilot rolled across the ground before siting up with a thumbs up to the audience. He looked up as his apprentice continued to rise in the air. He covered his mouth so nobody could read his lips. “Mum, pin.”

In his ear, where nobody but he could hear, Axia screamed. “Pilot, your leg is broken! This isn’t an emergency, call off the fight and have Stevonnie heal you! I won’t cause you unnecessary pain!”

After his adoption, Pilot had restarted his pleading for the pin protocol to be self-administrable, instead of needing his and Axia’s mutual agreement. Motherhood, it seemed, had only strengthened the grip the AI held onto the medical program.

“If I do that Connie will take this as a win and run straight into Roxillan’s traps on Homeworld.”

“You don’t know that. She promised-”

“Why would she keep a promise to a mentor who can’t beat her in a fight.”

“Is that why you respect your father?”

“Mum, I am going to fight Stevonnie with a broken leg, pins or no.”

“You are just as bad as Ar…” The pins sank into Pilot’s leg as she ended the communication so Pilot wouldn’t hear her cry.

Pilot entirely ignored the pain, standing silently on his broken leg, acting as if nothing was amiss. Above him Stevonnie reached the height of their accent. They encapsulated themselves in a bubble and plummeted like a pink meteor.

Priyanka tapped Pearl on the shoulder. “Does it usually get this rough?”

“No.” Pearl replied honestly. “I suppose they really want to give it their all for you. Don’t worry, Stevonnie’s part gem nature makes them much tougher than a normal human.”

“What about Pilot?” Meygareath questioned.

“This isn’t his first time against Stevonnie, and anyway, this is just a training session, if either of them needs to stop, they’ll tell us.”

Pilot dived out the way as Stevonnie crashed into the flagstones. He wheeled around and plunged into the resultant dust cloud. His fist bounced off a hard surface, as the dust settled, he saw Stevonnie had kept the shield up. He was certain he had heard a pop. He saw it, on Stevonnie’s combat top, rock dust, landed on the fabric after being blown into the air by the impact. Stevonnie had landed and immediately made a new bubble.

“How long are you planning on staying in there?” Pilot asked.

Stevonnie gestured to their ear, signalling they couldn’t hear him in their soundproof bubble.

Pilot mimed chicken wings.

Stevonnie saw red, literally. All faded away except them, Pilot, and a red sea. If they weren’t so furious, they would have recognized they were hallucinating.

“You think being thirteen makes you special?” They heard Pilot sneer.

Pearl stood beside him, shaking her head. “Why don’t you keep your head down while the adults fix this?”

Priyanka stood on Pilot’s other side. “Or better yet, stop pretending you have what it takes?”

Behind them was the silky sweet voice of Roxillan. “Am I meant to be afraid of you?” She laughed. Pearl and Connie’s mother vanished. Pilot was replaced by his biological mother.

Stevonnie rolled towards Pilot at great speed, trying to flatten him. Pilot warped around the bubble and kicked it as it passed. Temporarily out of control of their rolling, Stevonnie generated spikes to stop the bubble. They turned around and, without lowering the spikes, charged again.

Pilot again dodged past, but this time saw the rage on his apprentice’s face. “This is ridiculous.” He took out and equipped a pair of sunglasses before warping right up to the bubble. He raised his hand, light bombs between each finger. They detonated with a flash bright enough to temporarily blind Stevonnie, but also, unbeknownst to Pilot, bring them back to their senses.

As the fusion’s vision returned, the looked up. Pilot’s hand was pressed on the top of their bubble as he balanced upside down on it. Stevonnie knew what kick was coming and dared not lower their defenses, instead they crouched defensively holding a shield between them.

In an instant Pilot’s hand was replaced with his heel and there was a crack.


	6. The Helmsplitter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Pilot and Stevonnie's fight concludes, Mighty Spark is reminded of the old days, when he was the Pilot and the kelmep was learning the ropes.

Stevonnie’s bubble fractured and collapsed like an eggshell. Pilot stood above Stevonnie and looked them over. He sat down beside them. Both faced away from the audience. “You alright?” He asked.

“Is the fight over?” Stevonnie inquired in return.

“Yes.”

“Who won?”

Pilot shrugged. “Nobody wins when friends hurt each other.”

They sat silently for a moment. Pearl and the rest started to approach before seeing Pilot raise a hand behind Stevonnie’s back requesting space. “I’m sorry Pilot.” The fusion frowned. “Connie was still kinda mad about yesterday and it just boiled over.”

“It’s ok. Sometimes I see Steven mastering new diamond powers and Connie flying through the ranks of swordsmanship and both of them picking up what I teach them almost as fast as I can lay it down and part of me fears the day you’ll surpass me… when you won’t need me anymore.”

“I’ll always need you!” Stevonnie exclaimed. “We’re friends, and even if one day I can do everything you can, I’ll always want you around!” The fusion pulled Pilot into a hug.

“Speaking of needing each other,” Pilot half yelped. “I kinda bruised my ankle a bit when I popped your bubble, would you mind?”

Stevonnie licked their palm and administered their saliva on Pilot’s ankle. As Pilot hopped, it fixed the entirety of his leg without the fusion realizing the full extent of the injury.

They both got up and turned to the audience. “Ladies and gentlemen! My Apprentice! Stevonnie!” Pilot announced.

The applause started with Pearl. “Very well done Stevonnie!”

Doug joined her. “You and Pilot looked so awesome.”

Priyanka quickly followed, though she was still privately looking for signs of injury on Stevonnie.

The whole audience clapped and cheered for Stevonnie. “Thank you!” They blushed. They turned to Pilot. “What’s this about Pilot?”

“Sorry.” He replied. “I’m just so proud of you. I know you can save Earth and Homeworld! And I know you’ll be the best Pilot this multiverse has ever seen!”

“Th- Thanks…”

Doug and Priyanka came forward and hugged Stevonnie. “Are you hurt?” Priyanka asked.

“No, I’m fine.”

“Stevonnie!” Meygareath called out. “You fight with Connie’s sword?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I take your measurements?”

“Sure!”

As Meygareath set her measuring ribbon along Stevonnie’s frame, Mighty Spark clapped his hand onto his son’s shoulder. “How about you?” He grinned. “The helmsplitter seems to have gotten stronger.”

“Helmsplitter?” Pearl questioned.

“That kick he broke through Stevonnie’s bubble with.”

Stovonnie turned their head. “I’ve never heard you call it that Pilot.”

“It’s what I called it when I was a kid.” Pilot explained. “It’s a stupid name.” he grumbled quietly.

“First superhuman feat I saw him perform.” Mighty Spark reminisced. “Broke that orc’s helmet clean in half, didn’t you? Almost caved in his skull.”

“Almost broke my ankle.” Pilot reminded him.

“Oh yes. We fixed that with training.” He beamed from the memories. “It feels like yesterday when we were- Actually, I might have something on me.” Mighty Spark sat back on the stone seats and took a small laptop out of his shorts.

At the same time, Meygareath finished measuring Stevonnie. She added a few magenta diamonds to the teal swirl she had drawn earlier followed by a pink star on top of the silver line. The resulting glyph quietly annoyed the fusion with its rose-like appearance.

Everyone gathered around Mighty Spark as he opened the files of his videos and selected a file titled, “RMammoth.mp4”.

The video started with Mighty Spark, younger with full luster in his hair, wearing much the same clothes he did in modern times except as a top he wore a black sleeveless shirt. A radio for communication stuck out his back pocket. The environment seemed to consist mostly of bones, the density was so great that whatever substrate the ground was truly made of could not be discerned. Mighty Spark’s back was turned from the camera as he observed a far-off beast heading their way.

The beast was elephantine in some ways, with twin trunks and tiger-like stripes on its hide. Most notable was its immense size; it was larger than any elephant of the world most present knew. Judging from its distance, the creature had to have been about a thousand meters tall.

There was a voice, a nervous man’s voice. “T-The camera’s set up P-Pilot!”

Mighty Spark turned to face the camera, revealing the wavy blue line of the Pilot emblazoned across his shirt. “Excellent doctor!” He grinned. “Don’t you have some technical stuff you need to say?”

“Oh, you’re right!” The man realized. “This is Biotope 1’s forty-seventh field project of the Regal Mammoth De-Extinction Program. Prior studies show that the cloning process has delayed the production of jewel meat in the first generation of regal mammoths, as such it is necessary to for us to perform checks on the regal mammoths every five years to check jewel meat development. Unfortunately, due to the size of the regal mammoth, there are no feasible knocking methods IGO hunters can employ. As such I have gained the assistance of the Pilot and his apprentice-,”

A grey skinned child, no older than twelve leapt on camera. “The Lone Ranger!” He was dressed in a black cowboy outfit, complete with an eye mask that acted as a perception filter to the scientist and covered much of his scaring. The child had watched some cowboy movies prior to his mentor bringing him to this job.

Mighty Spark laughed warmly. “Always a pleasure to have your assistance partner. Aren’t you meant to be watching for predators though?”

“Oh yeah!” The Pilot-to-be exclaimed. “Don’t worry Pilot!” He switched to a frankly awful Clayton Moore impression as he slunk off camera, armed with finger guns. “The Lone Ranger watches the horizon, no creature alive shall escape his iron sights!”

Mighty Spark returned his attention to the researcher behind the camera. “What I don’t understand is why the IGO went to all the trouble of finding me. Why not have Knocking Master Jiro or Ichiryu do this?”

“Jiro is retired, and we can’t find him. As for the president, he can hardly be expected to fly out for a single project, he’s an important man.”

Mighty Spark raised an eyebrow.

“I didn’t mean it like that!” The researcher quickly added. “Besides, he’s away.”

“Well, I suppose it gives my apprentice the chance to test themselves in a hostile environment. Where’s the top brass gone anyway?”

“That’s classified.”

“Oh well, I guess I’d better take this mammoth down while it’s still light out.” Mighty Spark turned and started walking toward the approaching behemoth, still quite a way in the distance. He turned his head for a moment. “By the way, tell your president I’d like an invitation next time he goes to the gourmet world.”

A little while passed. Occasionally the young kelmep would pass, making an almost comical show of vigilance. On one such pass the scientist sighed. “I can’t believe the Pilot is entrusting my safety to a little girl.”

The child stopped and folded his arms. “I’m a boy!”

“What?”

“I said I’m a boy!”

“Your medical record says you’re female.”

“Those were taken years ago.”

“So, your sex changed in two years?” The researcher loudly scoffed. “That’s biologically im-,”

Even though he had shrunk to an almost indecipherable mass of pixels due to his distance, the backward glare Mighty Spark gave could be felt through the laptop screen.

The scientist backpedaled nervously. “Don’t you mean you’re a gourmet cowboy?” He offered hopefully.

The kid, ignorant of his mentor’s glare and trying one of his own smiled. “Yeah, that’s what I am.” Suddenly his face locked onto a point somewhere else behind the camera. “Doctor get behind me. Something’s coming.”

The scientist ran on camera, he was weedy, wearing a lab coat and thick glasses. When he was behind the child he looked where the child was looking and gasped in horror. “A gang hood!”

The little kelmep’s ears twitched. “It’s not alone, more are coming.” He raised his fists.

Cowering behind the child, the scientist fumblingly pulled out a radio. “Pilot! A pack of gang hoods have found us! Please come back and save us!”

“Gang hoods…” The then Pilot considered calmly over the radio. “They’re capture level… fifteen if I recall correctly. Could you pass me to the Lone Ranger?”

The researcher passed the radio to the kelmep.

“Do you need my help kid?” Asked Mighty Spark.

“Nope.” The child grinned. He tossed the radio back to the man trembling behind him.

“Call me if the kid gets hurt doctor.” With that the radio went silent.

“He’s gone insane,” The researcher murmured, “pitting a child against these-,”

A gang hood skulked on camera. It was roughly humanoid, about twice the height of an adult human and had fine brownish-purple scales over its muscular body. Its head was far more reptilian, it had a reptilian snout with lips pulled back to show its needle like teeth, its eyes were yellow and black, cold and vicious. It appeared to have some dark brown hair, that were actually long, fine down feathers, it had a beard on its chin and a narrow mop on its head, trailing down its back to the tip of its slender tail.

The beast had been on screen for a second when it doubled over, the child had driven his fist into its gut with notable momentum. He flipped, kicking it in the jaw, before climbing up its body. With a single punch to the throat, the gang hood keeled over backwards with a rasping hiss.

The kelmep had already leaped to another opponent off camera. A cacophony of distressed cries echoed as the Pilot’s apprentice sowed chaos in the already unruly pack. For a moment he was throw back into the camera’s view.

“Are you alright?” The researcher asked.

The kelmep immediately sprung to his feet with a grin. “Yep!” He had picked up a small skull and, with a spin, lobbed it off camera. A pained squawk said he hit his target. He dove backward, tripping a gang hood bold enough to try sneaking up on him. It turned over to try and claw him only to receive a blow to its shoulder hard enough to stun its arm.

The beast scrabbled out from under the boy, straight toward the scientist. “No! Don’t eat me!” The creature leapt over him and continued to flee from the little terror.

The kelmep was back off screen, fighting the remainder of the pack. The scientist got up, staring in awe. Suddenly a massive clawed hand burst out of the bones, grabbing the scientist’s leg. A gang hood, half again the size of the others rose out of the bones, having sneakily burrowed underneath in the hubbub of its minions’ attack. Its hair was white and its eyes were red and black. The creature licked its drooling jaws.

“No! Help!” The scientist screamed as he was dangled upside down. “Lone Ranger!”

Before a it could even taste its prey, the gang hood was thrown onto its face. The Pilot’s apprentice had landed a flying kick directly in its back.

The scientist did not waste a second after being dropped he fled back behind the child, who had taken a few steps back from the beast. “What’s up with this one doc?” The child asked.

The scientist adjusted his glasses and took a few deep breaths to center himself. “It looks like a gang hood pack leader, capture level seventeen. Not only are they stronger with age, but their experience makes them far more capable strategists.”

“I see.” Replied the boy, having registered very little about the increased threat. He addressed the creature, who had recovered and now faced him. “So, you think yourself in charge around these parts?”

The pack leader snarled. The sounds of the other gang hood lessened significantly; they were watching their leader for a measure of how dangerous the small, grey creature truly was. The scientist backed away slowly.

“I’m guessing if you turn tail the rest of your posse will vamoose right along with ya! You might not have heard partner, but I’m the Lone Ranger, a Gourmet Cowboy! This town ain’t big enough for the both of us!” The child gave an intimidating glare.

Unimpressed by the display, the pack leader dug its claws into the floor and raked them forward. Chips of bone and bone dust sprayed forth onto the kelmep, obscuring him and his vision. The gang hood dived into the cloud, clawing and biting furiously. As the dust settled all the beast had was a thoroughly ruined black Stetson between its jaws. It spat it out with a yelp as the kelmep appeared with a thigh bone and wacked it in the back of the knee. It turned, almost buckling from a strike to the patella, it bared down, jaws ready to chomp its prey in half.

The boy put the bone in the gang hood’s jaws, holding them open. With one hand he held onto the pack leader’s white beard, the other quickly punched down its throat.

The pack leader’s head was thrown backwards as it gagged, carrying the boy up with it. Pilot’s apprentice climbed round to the back of his opponent as it resisted the urge to vomit and crunched through the bone like a popsicle stick. The boy leapt up to the beast’s shoulder to avoid its clawed hand then on top of its head to avoid the other. The beast roared with fury as its own talons sunk into its hide.

The gang hood pack leader was so tall that the kelmep on its head was almost entirely off camera, only the hand he was balancing on was visible. A frame later the pack leader’s head was driven into the bone carpet. The kelmep’s body had righted itself in an instant, one leg bent the other extended, the heel still driving into the gang hood pack leader’s head. “Helmsplitter!” The boy shouted.

Watching the video, the current Pilot cringed. “So stupid, calling my attacks!”

“You were a kid.” Mighty Spark reminded him. “And anyway, everybody does it in that dimension.”

In the video, Pilot’s younger self stepped backwards off the creature. After a couple of moments, the gang hood lifted its head, clearly in a bad way. It shook and rocked from side to side. Most notably it had a child’s boot print shaped impression on its head. It attempted to stand, collapsed, rose again, and groggily fled, taking its pack with it.

The kelmep approached the scientist and offered a hand. “You ok?”

The scientist accepted the hand and stood up. “I am now. Thanks to you.” They were both silent for a few moments. “I’m sorry.”

The boy looked up at him quietly. “Sorry?”

“For doubting you. I should have had more faith you could protect me; you are the Pilot’s apprentice after all.”

“It’s fine, I get it.” He looked out in his mentor’s direction. “Pilot is bigger and stronger than me, I’ll probably have to work a lot harder for people to think I’m as good as him, but one day I’ll be the Pilot, and I will be as good as him, and then I’ll have an apprentice who will look up to me!” Suddenly, he pointed. “Hey look! Pilot’s gotten to the mammoth!”

Sure enough, there was a relatively small burst of blue light at the regal mammoth’s feet, the sign of Mighty Spark launching himself skyward. A few moments later there was a similarly sized burst between the colossus’ eyes. A second later, the regal mammoth sunk to its knees under its own weight, unconscious.

Momentarily stunned by the ease the then Pilot dispatched his target it took a little while for the scientist to get his bearings. “W-Well, we’d better gather our equipment and catch up with him.”

The kelmep went off camera as the scientist attended the device.

“Aw man!” the boy exclaimed.

“What is it?”

“One of those gang hoods stole my lunch!”

The scientist sighed. “You’re on Biotope 1, a site dedicated to reviving and preserving food treasures, I am certain someone of your talent won’t starve.”

“I guess. Hi ho Silver!”

“What?”

With that the video ended. Mighty Spark closed the laptop and put it away. “As I said, that kick has definitely gotten stronger since then. It’s always good to see where you come from though.”

“I guess.” Pilot shrugged.

“Oh Pilot! You were simply adorable!” Pearl exclaimed.

“Thank you Pearl.” Pilot’s tone suggested he wanted to use a different work in place of ‘thank’.

“I can’t believe you were that strong at Connie’s age!” Stevonnie exclaimed.

“You’re even stronger than that now!” Pilot insisted. “I just looked stronger because gang hoods are so big. Why don’t you and I go to the biotope some time and-,” He caught the disapproving glare from Priyanka. “But for the moment let’s stick to training here.”

Stevonnie hopped off the bench, taking the sword from Meygareath. “Alright partner!”

“Watch it.” Pilot smirked. The pair of them laughed as they returned to their practice, nostalgia, pride and determination burning within them.


	7. Training Dreams 2: Double Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven is training his mind with Archibald, the first Pilot, again. A conversation about why Steven can't remember his training in the waking world leads to him discovering that Connie is receiving similar tutelage and the apprentices meeting up for a joint session.   
> With Steven and Connie together, Archibald has double the questions to field. Perhaps it is time for a history lesson.

Steven and Archibald stood together in a bubble. Outside, the ocean crashed past pushing away psychic masses attempting to push into Steven’s mind. Steven pushed the tides hard, but the shapeless forms would not recede.

“You’re distracted.” Archibald stated. The masses disappeared. The water washed away; Steven dropped the bubble. “May I ask what’s on your mind?”

“Why can’t I remember all this while I’m awake?”

“I contain these sessions in your subconscious. Your conscious mind can’t access them.”

“Why do you do that?”

“Three main reasons. Functionally, it means that your subconscious will protect your mind even when you aren’t concentrating.”

“Ok, what about the other reasons.”

“Well, imagine you wake up realizing you just had psychic communication with the first Pilot. What would you do?”

“Tell someone.” Steven admitted. “But why shouldn’t I? Pearl, Bismuth, and Garnet would probably like to hear from you.”

“Assuming they believe you. Claiming to have spoken to somebody considered long dead is often thought of as a sign of madness in many worlds.”

“My friends would believe me!” Steven insisted. “Besides Pilot would definitely believe me and he deserves to know you’re alive!”

“You don’t fear he’ll be jealous? That I’m visiting you and not him? He may even feel inferior.”

“Well why don’t you visit him?”

“Who says I don’t? I go visit him every so often, he talks very highly of you and Connie. I taught him what I’m teaching you now.”

“Wait!” Steven exclaimed, suddenly grinning. “So this is all part of my training to be the Pilot?”

“Exactly Steven.”

“Are you teaching Connie too?”

“Of course! I’m teaching her now.”

“How can you be teaching her while you’re here with me?”

“Steven, have you never multitasked?” Archibald smiled. “Speaking of, Connie was wondering if she could see you. Do you mind?”

“Of course not!” Steven grinned.

“In that case, I shall be right back!” Archibald turned and walked out of Steven’s mind, into the void. After a couple of steps, the old man instantly accelerated. In the blink of an eye he was reduced to a tiny neon blue spark deep in the void. A few moments later, it seemed as though Steven’s mind was rapidly approaching Archibald, though Steven did not feel like he was moving. It looked as if the vast space between his mind and Archibald was shrinking away.

As he got closer, Steven could make out Archibald’s form, then he saw it. On the opposite side of the old man, equally far away was another approaching mass of mist, another mind. This mist was teal, like Priyanka’s. instead of the rivulets of white mist in the mind of the doctor, this mind was densely populated with glimmering, hair-thin silver fragments, they dashed about rhythmically in clusters, like shoals of dazzling fish. Steven knew at a glance who’s mind it was.

The two minds came to a stop a few meters from each other with Archibald in the middle. A humanoid shape dashed from the teal mist. “Connie!” Steven cried excitedly.

They hugged close together, holding each other’s subconscious consciousness. They let go, turning to see Archibald wandering towards them. “You were both having very similar conversations with me so I thought I might as well address you both in the same place.”

“Cool.” Connie replied. “What’s the third reason you erase our memories of these sessions?”

“Free will.”

“Huh?” Steven responded.

“Well, if, when you’re the Pilot, your waking self knows I’m around, you may seek my advice on how to be the best Pilot. The answer is there is no best Pilot. When I passed my title on to Elster Swiftwater, I was aiming to make a lineage of mindful, compassionate multiverse explorers, not pawns to continue my work after I retired. I can’t tell you how to live your lives, I would be taking the honor of doing that from you.”

“What if we actually need your advice?” Asked Steven.

“If something is that important and you have time to take a nap, you will probably sleep on it naturally. I can always put seeds of inspiration into your conscious minds if you ask me to.”

“Who’s Elster?” Connie inquired.

“The second Pilot and my apprentice.” Archibald explained proudly.

“How many Pilots have there been?”

“The Pilot you know is the ninth. Seems only fitting the first Pilot in double digits be two people in one body.”

“What were the others like?” Steven inquired.

Archibald clapped his hands together adventurously. “I suppose there’s time for a history lesson.” He opened a portal.

The three stepped through. They found themselves in an immense marble hall, in the center was a tall statue of Archibald’s likeness, crafted seamlessly of the marble of the floor with trimmings of obsidian and blue coral. “This statue…” Connie exclaimed.

“It’s so gaudy, I apologize.” Archibald admitted. “I was so full of myself in my youth.”

“No, I’ve seen it before,” Connie elaborated, “The night Pilot first met my parents he showed us a picture of it, he said it was taken in the oldest Pilot temple he’d ever seen.”

“Well it is, that he’s seen.”

“So this is a real place?” Steven inquired.

“Yes.”

“Are we still dreaming?”

“Yes. Welcome to Warp Hall, a quiet celebration of Pilots past. Shall we start with the most recent?”

“Lead the way.” Connie nodded.

The trio headed through a wooden door to a wood paneled room with paintings and a display case in the center. Steven looked up at the largest painting. It was of a woman, slender and physically fit, especially considering she looked about forty. She wore a light tactical vest and had night vision goggles propped up on her coral brown hair, put into a functional ponytail. Her eyes were a brilliant emerald green, made all the more attention grabbing by the wavy blue line of the Pilot etched across her left iris.

“This room is dedicated to Monica.” Archibald explained. “She is an exceptional marksman and a very talented writer.”

Connie looked at the central display case. It contained three weapons, a pair of heavy-duty pistols and a collapsible sniper rifle, the names Sayori, Natsuki, and Yuri respectively were engraved on the barrel each weapon.

Connie moved on to a largish framed photograph. In a field, under an arch were Monika and Mighty Spark. Mighty Spark wore a suit, Monika a long blue dress. Only just visible behind them was the officiator, smiling as the pair before him shared their first kiss as husband and wife. Something clicked in Connie’s mind. “Mighty Spark said Monika died nineteen years ago, but you talk about her as if she’s alive.”

“She is, depending on how you look at things.” Archibald nodded. “Pilots only add their room to Warp Hall once they have passed into the warp.”

“When they die.”

“Not from my perspective.”

“Archibald,” Steven asked carefully, “Are you a ghost?”

Archibald sighed, slightly defeated. “I suppose so, it is the closest point of reference you have. I am a continuation of the impression the flesh and blood Archibald made in the warp, I am very much alive.”

“So, you’re a copy?”

“A copy?” He parroted incredulously. He smiled and explained. “Listen Steven, the human body replaces every single cell over the course of seven years, no part of you now is the same as you when you were seven, except your gem. Are you just a copy of seven-year-old Steven?”

“Point taken.” Replied Steven.

“Good. Shall we continue our tour?”

They entered other rooms, Khenbish Borjigin the Mongolian archer and spiritual evoker and her mentor Chen Hiazumi the rouge samurai with a blue katana. They entered the room of Misty Knight, a detective with a robotic arm, she had become apprenticed to the Pilot after her friend and colleague, Colleen Wing, was murdered by an interdimensional assassin known as Dean “Sixfingers” O’Hagan, the primary enemy of the then Pilot, a man who’s birth name was Dwight Hinckley. Dwight’s room revealed he was a semi-reformed con artist with an aptitude for sleight of hand and mind games, he apparently fled his own universe with the Pilot before him after pulling one con too many on a group called the IRA, only to find one of their agents chasing him through dimensions. Elster Swiftwater was next, an elf with silver skin and a talent for wizardry and swordsmanship, combined in a technique known as bladesong. Finally, they entered a room dedicated to Archibald.

“There we are, a short tour of every Pilot! Every Pilot so far I should say.” The old man smiled at them.

“So every Pilot had one apprentice?” Asked Connie

“Yes.” Replied Archibald.

“Why not have multiple Pilots at the same time?”

“It harkens back to my rash statement back when I was the Pilot.”

“What statement?” Steven questioned.

“Well after I let my emotions get the better of me with your mother, I hastily decided that any group of people would inevitably fall to infighting and the Pilot must reserve the ability abandon worlds who failed to maintain their moral standard without fear of pursuit or the power of dimensional travel being abused. I wrote down my opinions on the subject and they were picked up by my apprentice, then his, and so on. Eventually, every Pilot knew by second nature ‘The Pilot may only have one apprentice’. Heck, Your Pilot is only making both of you his apprentice by using Stevonnie as a technicality.”

“So you based an entire philosophy off one bad experience?” Steven asked, trying not to sound judgmental.

“Not just one.” Archibald stated, he wandered over to a small glass case beneath a painting Steven and Connie ignored. The case contained a simple silver wedding band. “When the secret of the warp came to me, I wanted to tell everyone who had treated me with any amount of decency. Those people were few in number as people were less accepting of homosexuals in my world. Indeed, I could only think of two people. A priest who believed any love could be true,” he pulled up on a fine chain around his neck, revealing an identical ring, “and the man he wedded me to.” Archibald shook his head regretfully. “I forgot, in my excitement, the stress of forcing myself to accept the secret into my mind. Pilot has explained about the secret yes?”

“Yeah.” Steven replied. “He said in order to access the warp and open portals, you have to know the secret of the warp.”

“He said he needed to prepare us mentally before telling Stevonnie the secret.” Connie continued. “He said people had gone insane from hearing the secret unprepared.”

“I wrote words to that effect. The priest didn’t survive the night, he was unwilling to think more on the secret and unable to live knowing only the small amount of information he did. My husband seemed to have been unharmed, though he did also profess an incomplete understanding and an unwillingness to consider more. I told no one else, fearing they would meet the same fate as the priest. My husband and I explored the multiverse together, it was all I truly desired. One night I found a world in complete subjugation, attacked by advanced technology and an army twice as large as the universe’s population. I swiftly discovered my husband had used the power I gave him to build a multiversal empire. When I demanded an explanation, he tried to bribe me with a seat at his side. Before I knew it, fifty years had passed, my youth was gone, and my one-time love lay dead at my feet. I swore never to be so careless in sharing my power again, at the same time, I didn’t want my gift to die with me.” Archibald stood silently for a while, staring into the eyes of the portrait. “I’m sorry.” He whispered.

“Pardon?” Connie responded.

“I’m sorry.” He repeated at a more sociable volume. “I’ve kept you two from your training almost all night! We should get back to your minds.” A portal opened, they passed through to the border of Connie’s mind, a ways off was Steven’s.

The three gave a token effort to training, there wasn’t much time so the activity was mostly an occasion for Steven and Connie to show off their capabilities to each other. Connie’s rejection resembled a shockwave of soft red light emanating from a ring around her wrist. It didn’t take two guesses for Steven to know what memory she drew from.

“I wonder what Stevonnie’s rejection would look like?” Connie wondered aloud.

“Why don’t we find out?” Steven grinned. The pair danced, spinning together in space. They pulled each other in and… nothing. Steven and Connie, still two distinct entities, blinked at each other. “It didn’t work.” Steven stated dumbfounded.

“Why not?”

“I don’t know, we usually fuse right after doing that.”

Archibald cleared his throat. “If I may, while I never personally participated in fusion, I am aware it is at least partially a physical process. Perhaps your minds can’t combine while your bodies are miles apart.”

“Oh…” Steven responded. The thought of being incapable of fusing scared him a little, it was such a large part of the gem culture he was raised in and being unable to rely on Stevonnie being only a short dance away felt unnatural.

“So we’d have to fuse before falling asleep if we wanted to train as Stevonnie?” Connie theorized.

“That should work.” Archibald agreed.

“But how do we remember to fuse while we’re awake?” She wondered.

“I could always plant a seed of inspiration in your minds.” Archibald reminded them. “That is, if you both want to fuse tomorrow.”

“I’d like that.” Steven smiled.

“Me too. I’m meant to come over anyway.” Connie agreed.

“Well, that settles it. It’s almost morning, you two should set about waking up soon. I look forward to meeting your fusion tomorrow!”

“Of course!” Connie smiled. “See you tomorrow?” She asked her boyfriend.

“Tomorrow!” Steven beamed. They kissed briefly before Connie ran back into the depths of her mind. “Bye Archibald!” Steven called back as he ran into the depths of his.

Both Steven and Connie got back to their respective seats of consciousness. Both felt a bit embarrassed that they had shaped theirs to resemble their romantic partner. Surely, they were the sappy/obsessed one in the relationship. Both awoke, their night’s dreams sequestered outside their conscious memory. All except a few subtle seeds.


	8. Stevonnie's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the return to Homeworld fast approaching, everybody is working as hard as they can to ensure that everything is as ready as can be. Pilot and Bismuth are working on an upgrade to the ship's railguns, Lapis and Peridot are practicing in the sky above, and Steven and Connie are primed to assist anyone as needed. When nobody is in need of help, what will Steven and Connie do, alone together?

Steven awoke in the early morning. He keenly felt the time tick down to his return to Homeworld and he was intent on helping everyone get ready that and every day leading up to it. He had woken a little while before his alarm was due to go off, so he reached for his phone. Unlocking it, he was greeted by his phone’s wallpaper, him and Connie at a restaurant, on a date. Connie…

Steven remembered that his girlfriend was also coming over just before lunch. It was strictly business; she was there to keep up to date with any changes to the plan and to lend a hand wherever she could. Steven sighed, he wished he and Connie could just goof off and have fun together, but everyone else was working so hard, he needed to help them.

Stepping down the stairs in his pajamas Steven was surprised to encounter Meygareath. “Good morning Steven!” She was sat at his table with what looked like a scroll. She was painting pattern of dense, overlapping lines of silver and pink, meeting in stars of layered teal and magenta or golden ellipsoids.

“Morning. You’re up early. Who let you in.”

“Garnet. Axia is working the ship and the noise was distracting me. I see you are already dressed.”

“These are my pajamas.”

“Pajamas?” She responded curiously.

“They’re sort of like clothes you wear while you sleep.” He explained.

“You wear clothes while you sleep?”

“You don’t?”

“That’s what blankets are for right?”

“Ok…” Steven replied. “What are you up to?”

“Woman-Bismuth is taking me to her forge this evening, I am preparing this paper to craft Connie’s sword with her.”

“Do you need any help?”

“No thank you. This is a delicate operation that benefits from as few stray concepts as possible.”

Steven nodded and set about getting ready for the day. After washing, brushing his teeth and getting dressed, Steven headed out to the balcony, finding Garnet sitting in a lotus position. “Morning Garnet. What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to foresee any potential issues in our plan.” The fusion replied, not opening her eyes.

“Found anything yet?”

“Not yet. The sheer number of possible events in the coming days takes a while to process, especially with Pilot and Mighty Spark. I know from experience that those two are constantly unpredictable.”

“Can I get you anything?”

“I only need time.” She re-entered her trance.

“Okay.” Steven stopped talking. He looked at Garnet, a perfect fusion. While Steven knew each fusion was their own person, Garnet was combined so perfectly that Steven had not once in his entire life suspected them of being a fusion until Ruby and Sapphire had fused in front of his eyes. He could only think of one other fusion approaching her completeness, his own with Connie. “Garnet?” He asked.

Feeling an important question arising, Garnet removed her shades. “Steven.” She patted the deck for him to sit beside her.

He did so, mimicking her pose. He asked his question. “Were there other Crystal Gems who were fused all the time like you?”

“Only a few.” She replied.

“Did not many gems fall in love?”

“Of course they did. Choosing to stay fused forever was a big decision and there were other ways for gems to show their love for each other. Most gem couples only stayed fused for periods of a day or so, enjoying their lives together and apart.”

“I see.” He stood up. “Thanks Garnet!” An idea formed in his head.

Steven took a few steps forward to look over his balcony. In the air, Lapis and Peridot zipped around, making obstacles for each other out of water and metal. The boy chuckled at their sport before turning his attention downward. On the beach he saw the ship parked and in front Bismuth and Pilot lent over a small table. On a nearby bolder Amethyst lazed, watching over the pair.

Steven went to take the stairs when he felt somebody rush past behind him. “Good morning Steven!” Pearl called, hurrying down the steps. She carried a toolbox in one hand.

Steven jogged after her. “Wait up Pearl! What are you doing?”

Pearl slowed down so Steven could walk with her. “Axia and I are performing some maintenance on the ship.”

“Can I help?”

“Oh Steven,” She smiled, trying not to hurt his feelings, “The engines of Pilot’s ship are irradiated with warp energy, it’s too dangerous for your organic body. Even I have to take brakes.”

“Pilot’s immune to warp energy.” Steven considered. “Maybe some of it has rubbed off on me? I’m his apprentice after all!” They approached the open back door of the ship.

There was a gentle chuckle from the ship’s interior. “I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that.” Axia revealed. “One must gain immunity from constant internal exposure. Immunity will come when Stevonnie becomes the Pilot.”

Steven nodded and left them to it. He wandered over to Bismuth and Pilot. They seemed to be working on a short metal tube, sealed on a hatch at one end and wrapped in a coil of copper wire. “Hi guys!” The boy called.

“Hey Multiverse!” Pilot replied.

“Where’s your dad Pilot? Didn’t he say he was going to stay until everything with White was sorted out?”

“Yeah, but then Yellow started complaining that she couldn’t train properly on this planet, so dad took her and Blue to the Gourmet World, they should be back on Friday.”

“Friday? That’s cutting it sort of fine isn’t it?” Asked Steven.

“They’ll be back in time.” Pilot assured him. “Dad can just open a portal to here if need be. He’s got the dimensional entanglement communicator.”

“Alright. What are you working on?”

“Prototype.” Pilot replied. “If we’ve got this right, my mum could hit a fly from a mile off.” He connected the prototype to a car battery with alligator clips. He and Bismuth looked down the shore to where they had placed an apple on a boulder. Steven looked down range with them. Pilot aimed the tube at the target and handed Steven a doorbell hooked into the wiring. “Will you do the honors Steven?”

“Sure.”

Bismuth counted down. “Three! Two!”

“Wait a minute!” Pilot exclaimed.

Steven’s finger stopped over the button. “What is it?”

“You look tired Steven.”

“What?”

“Are you sleeping ok?” Pilot asked.

“Yeah. I just woke up, that must be it.”

“I see.” Pilot ran his eye over Steven’s clothes. They were wrinkled and showed patches of recent drying as if they had been donned while he was in a hurry and had improperly dried himself after his shower. There was no sign of food residue as one would expect from a hurried meal. “Did you have breakfast Steven?”

“No…” He admitted. “But it’s alright, I can wait until lunch and-.”

“Unacceptable! Check your pocket.”

Steven put a hand in his pocket, surprised to find something inside. “A cereal bar?”

“Who says I don’t keep an eye out for you?”

“There’s little chocolate bits in this!” Steven noted, happily taking a bite of the snack.

“I know how to make you eat your fiber!”

“Now that crisis has been avoided, can we test the prototype?” Bismuth asked once Steven finished the cereal bar.

“Sure!” Pilot replied. “Get ready Steven!”

Steven readied the doorbell.

Again, Bismuth counted down. “Three! Two! One! Fire!”

Steven pressed the button. An inert slug flew out of the prototype’s barrel. It dipped under gravity and hit the ground with a geyser of sand, some meters short of the target.

“Still needs more power.” The gem sighed.

“But if we put any more current through it will take too long for the full-sized version to cool down.” The kelmep retorted uncoupling the prototype from the battery. “I guess it’s back to the drawing board.”

“Can I help with the new design?” Asked Steven.

“Not right now.”

The rest of Steven’s morning consisted of him running between the gems and kelmep, looking to see if they needed his assistance.

At about noon Doug pulled up with Connie. Recognizing the vehicle, Lapis and Peridot descended to greet her.

Peridot waved to the car as the dustbin lid she rode on touched the ground. “Greetings fellow Crystal Temp!”

“Hi Peridot!” Connie exclaimed, stepping out of the vehicle.

“Sup.” Lapis nodded, landing gently next to the green gem.

“Hey Lapis!”

Doug got out and quietly asked, “Is that the one who-?”

“Yes.” Connie replied.

“With the water copy of Steven?” He specified, concerned.

“Yes, it’s fine, it was a misunderstanding.”

“It’s not nice to whisper in front of people.” Lapis folded her arms.

“Sorry.” Connie replied. “So, what were you two doing up there?”

Lapis’ stance rapidly softened as she smiled. “Aerial practice. Me and Peridot are going to be drawing Homeworld’s defenses, so we have to practice our agility.”

“Oh cool! Can I help?”

“Not unless you can fly!” Lapis chuckled.

“Oh, alright then. I guess I’ll see what everyone else is up to.”

“Wait, that reminds me!” Peridot exclaimed. “Garnet said your dad would want to talk to a responsible adult when he brought you here.”

“That would be nice.” Doug agreed.

Peridot, not listening to the human, turned to her fellow gem. “Are either of us responsible adults?”

Lapis shrugged.

Peridot turned back and shouted down the beach. “Hey guys! Are Lapis or I responsible adults!?”

“No!” Pilot called back.

“Are you a responsible adult Pilot?”

“I’m quite capable of-!”

“No!” Garnet loudly overruled.

Axia, having heard the conversation, sent Pearl to deal with Doug. Pearl briskly walked down the beach to join Peridot and Lapis.

“Hey Pearl, are you-?”

“Yes Peridot.” Pearl replied.

“Great! Lapis and I ought to get back to practice. Talk later Connie!” With that Peridot lifted back into the air.

Lapis gave a wave and followed her.

Pearl produced a small towel from her gem and wiped the bluish grease from her hand to shake Doug’s. “Good afternoon.”

“Hello Pearl. I just wanted to make sure you knew Connie had arrived. Connie said you’d handle lunch.”

“Of course, I was just about to start making it. Once I’ve cleaned myself up first.” Pearl laughed politely. “Will you be joining us?”

Doug looked at his watch. “I would, but I’ve got to get to work.”

“Oh well.” Pearl replied. “Have a good day at work. Goodbye.” She headed to the temple to start with lunch.

Doug caught his daughter before she could run after. “So, you have your keys to get in in case your mom and I aren’t back from work yet. What sort of time will you get back?”

“Well, everyone seems to be working flat out, so I’m not sure when they’ll call it a day. Gems don’t even need sleep, so they might work through the night. I’ll be back at nine, ten at the latest.”

“That’s pretty late.” Her father responded. “I don’t know if you should be riding buses alone at that time.”

“I’ll take Lion.” She replied.

As if on cue, the magical pink beast finally lost patience with the repeated firing tests by Pilot and Bismuth. He got up and ambled over, nuzzling Connie on the shoulder.

She scratched him behind the ear. “Hey Lion, we were just talking about you.”

“Alright then.” Doug relented. “Call me if anything changes.”

“I will dad. Bye!”

“See you later kiddo!” Doug got back into his car, turned around and headed to work.

Connie turned to Lion. “Do you know where Steven is?”

Lion snorted in her face, glanced toward the temple, and curled up for another nap.

“Alright. I’ll find him myself.” Connie walked down the beach offering greetings as she passed people. “Hey guys! Where’s Steven?”

“In the house watching Pumpkin and Cat Steven.” Amethyst told her.

“Busy work.” Thought Connie.

As Connie entered the house, Pilot turned back to the prototype with an upset exhalation.

“What’s up?” Asked Amethyst.

“It’s Connie and Steven. They’ve both been working and training flat out all week.”

“We all have.” Bismuth contended.

“But they aren’t full gems. They aren’t designed to work constantly. At this rate they’re going to burn out before even reaching Homeworld.”

“Is that why Garnet told Steven to watch the pets? So he has a chance to get some rest?” Amethyst questioned.

“Yeah, but it’s not enough!” Pilot screwed up his fist. “Physical exhaustion isn’t the only risk. They could also suffer from boredom, come Homeworld, their wits will be porridge. They might even become depressed.”

“So they need to have fun?” Amethyst summarized.

“Isn’t there a place called Funland nearby?” Bismuth considered.

“Good luck getting them to go right now though.” Pilot tapped a finger on his chin. “We have to trick them into going. I have a plan that just might work.”

They were interrupted by a brief flash of pink light from the beach house window. A few moments later, Stevonnie stepped out onto the decking. “Hey everyone! Pearl wants to know who wants sandwiches!”

“I will!” Pilot called.

“I’ll have some!” Yelled Amethyst.

“Okay!” Stevonnie re-entered the house to relay the orders.

Pilot huddled with Bismuth and Amethyst. “Alright, here’s the plan…”

A few minutes later, Stevonnie came out to call Pilot and Amethyst in for lunch. They entered the house, washed their hands and sat up at the table with Meygareath, Pearl, and the fusion.

Pilot took a bite from his sandwich before setting it down. “So Stevonnie, to what do we owe your presence?”

The fusion shrugged. “Well, this morning Steven was talking to Garnet about permanent fusions. It kinda got him thinking.”

Pilot, Pearl, and Amethyst shared uncomfortable looks. Pearl managed to find her words first. “Well Stevonnie, far be it from me to discourage you, but choosing to remain fused forever is a big decision, especially for someone of their ag-.”

“Huh?” Stevonnie responded. “No, I didn’t mean think like that!”

Pilot, Pearl, and Amethyst relaxed.

“Steven and Connie were getting sick of always needing a reason to be me.” Stevonnie explained. “So, they invented Stevonnie days!”

“Stevonnie days?” Amethyst questioned.

“Connie and Steven fuse and spend the day as me. I can do whatever needs doing. If Connie needs to study, I’ll study, if Steven has gem stuff, I’ll do gem stuff. If neither of them have stuff that needs doing, I’ll do what I like.”

Pilot raised a box of durian juice. “Good idea! I’ll drink to that!”

“Really?” They smiled, picking up their own.

“Of course, I’ll be glad to see more of you, you are my apprentice after all. To Stevonnie days! Trademark pending.”

Stevonnie laughed as they clinked their juice box with everyone. After finishing their first two sandwiches (they were eating for two after all) they considered the current situation. “So Meygareath, you’re going to be inside until this evening, right?”

“That’s right.” She replied, politely lowering her fifth sandwich.

“I know you’re busy but Pumpkin and Cat Steven seem to be resting at the moment.” They shrugged toward the windowsill, where the pair dozed in the sunlight. “Could you just keep an eye on them so I can lend a hand to the others?”

“I suppose I could.”

“Thanks Meygareath.” The fusion turned their attention to the others. “So, now I have time, what can I help you guys with?”

The fusion was greeted by a lot of uming and ahing from their friends. Pilot subtly kicked Amethyst under the table.

“Uh? I have to use the bathroom!” The quartz declared. Before anybody could respond, she downed her entire plate of sandwiches, ate her juice box, and ran out the front door.

“It’s so disgusting when she does that in the ocean.” Pearl muttered.

Temporarily put off from their remaining food, Stevonnie tried to return to a more palatable subject. “So Pearl, do you and Axia need a hand?”

“I doubt you’re any more resistant to warp energy than Steven.” Pilot noted.

“Oh. How about you Pilot?”

“Now that you mention it…” He got up and paced by the window as if broaching an uncomfortable subject. “You know how rowdy Amethyst can be. She’s been bothering me and Bismuth all morning and I’m worried she’s going to break something or hurt herself.”

“She can’t be that bad!” Stevonnie challenged.

Pilot turned to face them. Behind his back he flashed a small mirror.

From the beach came Bismuth’s shout. “Amethyst! Don’t touch that! It’s very sensitive equ-!” There was a small explosion with a puff of sand visible from the dining table.

Pilot flawlessly acted surprised and stuck his head out the door. “Are you alright!?”

“We’re fine!” Bismuth called back. “We’ll have to rebuild the prototype again though!” In truth the prototype was only hidden, the explosion had been a cleverly buried flashbang.

Pilot lead Stevonnie, who had immediately arisen at the explosion, back to the table.

“Do you want me to talk to her about this?” The fusion asked.

“I don’t think it’s entirely her fault.” Pilot confessed. “She’s been stuck here all week. I think she needs a distraction.”

“Like what?”

Pilot pretended to consider the options. “You could take her to Funland.”

“Alright.” Stevonnie agreed. “I’ll take her as soon as I’ve helped Pearl with the washing up.”

Pilot nodded and warped out of the house before anyone could question farther. He leapt onto the beach, landing between his compatriots. “Mission success.” He grinned.

Bismuth dusted off the prototype and placed it back on its stand. “Good job guys!”

“So, we’re going to Funland?” Amethyst beamed.

“You and Stevonnie are going to Funland.” Pilot specified.

“What about you?”

“I have to help Bismuth with the prototype, don’t I?”

“I’ll be alright for a while.” Bismuth assured him.

“Yeah, but-.”

“And didn’t you say non-gems would burn out if they didn’t take a break?”

“I’ve taken breaks.”

“When?”

“Stevonnie’s coming!” Pilot declared.

As Pilot said, Stevonnie stepped outside. “Hey Amethyst! Let’s go to Funland!”

“Alright!” Amethyst grinned.

Bismuth and Pilot watched them go, satisfied that the fusion would have a good first Stevonnie day.


	9. The Raffle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stevonnie takes Amethyst to Funland on the parks busiest day. It seems that Mr. Smiley has an event of some kind going on and it's drawing in the crowds. Despite the hustle, there is still plenty for g quartz and a fusion to do, as well as plenty to discover.

When Amethyst and Stevonnie got to Funland they were surprised by the sheer number of people who were present. Sure, it was summer, but usually tourists tended to move from one hotspot to the next, keeping crowds manageable.

Thankfully, it appeared that Mr. Smiley’s business was doing so well he had managed to afford a couple of temp workers to run the smaller stands, meaning his frantic running was only about as frequent as his normal days.

“I wonder what’s going on?” Mused Stevonnie.

“Maybe it’s got something to do with that.” Amethyst pointed to a newly set up table. It had a spinning ticket drum and multiple colorful boxes and envelopes. “Let’s check it out!”

The pair approached the table. A moment later the park’s proprietor sprinted in from nowhere and hopped over the table. He caught his breath. “Hello there! Who’s your friend, Amethyst?”

“Stevonnie.” The fusion held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Mr. Smiley shook it with his usual grin. “Pleasure’s all mine! Are you two thinking of entering the raffle?”

“Raffle?” They questioned.

“You haven’t heard? I managed to get some nearby businesses to offer some gifts and experiences for me to use as prizes to draw some customers in. It might have worked a bit too well.” He chuckled, his chronic sleep deprivation breaking through just a little too strongly. “You got here just in time! I was about to close it to new entrants! The prize draw is about an hour from now!”

“So that’s why there are so many people about!” Amethyst realized.

“I suppose so!” He agreed. “So, how about it? One dollar per ticket.”

Stevonnie shrugged. “I don’t know, what are the prizes?”

“All sorts of things, assorted T-shirts, a surfboard, a plus one ticket that a new club in Surf City, pizza lunch with the mayor, a month of half off at Jill’s Sandwiches, a doughnut sel-.”

“Jill’s Sandwiches!?” Amethyst exclaimed. “I thought that place closed down years ago!”

“You mean that time they closed after a sandwich caught fire and burnt the shop down? I still don’t know why anyone would put motor oil, newspapers, and lit sparklers into a sandwich.”

Amethyst avoided Stevonnie’s subtle but critical glare.

“Anyway, they had to move a little out of town, but they opened up again pretty soon after the incident.”

“Are you kidding me?” Amethyst squealed delightedly. She felt around her body before realizing she had no money. She grabbed Stevonnie’s arms like a child would to their mother after seeing a shiny new toy they wanted. “Stevonnie! Jill’s Sandwiches is my favorite place to eat ever! You gotta get me a ticket! I’ll pay you back!”

“Alright.” Stevonnie got their arm free and reached into their pockets. They pulled out Connie’s blue purse and Steven’s Crying Breakfast Friends themed wallet. They stared at the items for a moment as they tried to process why they felt like their wires were crossed. They noticed Mr. Smiley eyebrow raise. “Would you excuse us a moment?” They grabbed Amethyst’s shoulder and turned her around into a huddle. 

“What’s up?” The gem asked.

“I don’t know whether it’s right for me to spend Steven or Connie’s money.”

“Well you’re their fusion. Can’t you just know what they’d want you to spend their money on?”

“Kind of. They’re both ok with buying this ticket, but now I feel like that time Steven offered to pay the bill at that Italian restaurant.”

“What happened?”

“Connie said it was fine and that she should get it since Steven had bought them both fry bits last time. Then Steven was like ‘no really it’s fine!’ and it just got really awkward and annoying for both of them.”

“Who ended up paying?” Amethyst asked.

“They ended up splitting the bill in the end.”

“So what’s stopping you from doing that now?”

“Oh yeah!” The fusion realized, silently chiding themselves for not thinking of it first. They fished a dollar out of both Steven and Connie’s funds before turning back to Mr. Smiley. “Sorry about that. Two tickets please!”

“No problem!” He took their money and handed them a pair of numbered tickets. “Do you want to leave your phone number, or will you be here for the prize draw in an hour?”

“We’ll be here.” Stevonnie replied.

They let Mr. Smiley rush off to attend to other attractions. “We’ve got an hour to kill before the prizes.” Amethyst observed. “What do you want to do?”

Stevonnie eyed a roller-coaster Connie had never been allowed on due to her height, the one Steven had attempted to use for an ill-advised method to free the two of them from his first magical bubble. Stevonnie was tall enough to ride.

Matching the fusion’s gaze, Amethyst shifted into a taller form. “Let’s get in line.” She suggested with a smirk.

As Mr. Smiley fastened them in, Stevonnie feared their first time riding would be dampened by having Steven’s memories of the roller-coaster spoil it for them. Delightfully, they found they were wrong. Stevonnie’s experiences were entirely their own; their anticipation as the cart crawled up the first accent, the thrill as they careened downward, the rush of every twist and turn, all were uniquely theirs. It occurred to them that the personal nature of their ride meant Connie still wouldn’t know what the roller-coaster felt like for her. “Guess you’ll have to find out after you grow a bit.” Stevonnie whispered as they were let out of their seat.

After that, Stevonnie and Amethyst went from attraction to attraction. They bought a candy apple and went on The Hyperspace, they felt slightly ill afterward. “I shouldn’t have eaten that candy apple.” They complained, just about managing to not be sick.

Amethyst patted their side. “Let’s slow down a bit. The hall of mirrors isn’t too packed.”

Stevonnie recovered quickly as they followed the Quartz in. In the hall of mirrors Amethyst entertained herself in her usual way, shaping her body into outrageous forms to make her warped reflection look normal. Her antics persuaded Stevonnie to give it a try. The mirror the fusion stood before reflected their image with ridiculously short legs. They checked that nobody apart from Amethyst was around, closed their eyes and attempted to stretch their legs.

After a few moments Amethyst saw them and called out. “Whoa wait! Your shirt!”

Stevonnie let their from set and opened their eyes. Their whole body, not just their legs had grown. They were only a couple of feet taller but Steven and Connie’s layered shirts, already small at the fusion’s regular size, was approaching a point where they would soon be infeasible items for maintaining Stevonnie’s modesty.

Stevonnie embarrassedly shrunk back to normal size.

“What was that?” Asked Amethyst.

“I was just trying to make my legs longer.” Stevonnie insisted.

Amethyst scratched her head. “Weird. Steven doesn’t usually have that trouble. Try shapeshifting something else.”

“Ok. One big arm!” Without even a glow, Stevonnie’s arm became muscular. “Hey, I did it.”

“I’m not so sure.” Amethyst directed their attention to the mirror. Stevonnie’s entire body was buff.

They continued experimenting. Stevonnie could make themselves fat or thin, tall or short, lean or muscular. They could change the length of their hair and even the shape of their facial features. Quite by accident they turned their eyes green, soon they were giving themselves freckles and a mustache making themselves and Amethyst laugh.

Try as they might however they couldn’t make themselves look inhuman. When they tried to make one body part out of proportion with the rest the rest of the body would shift by itself to match. No form they took was obviously not a normal human. Stevonnie returned to their normal form. “I think that’s enough shapeshifting for me today.” They rubbed their arms and back.

“Are you feeling alright?” Amethyst checked.

“Yeah. Just feel a bit fatigued, like I just did a lot of exercise. Can we go on a ride I can sit down on?”

“Ferris wheel?”

“Ferris wheel.”

They left the hall of mirrors and got in line for the Ferris wheel. Once in a cab, Stevonnie gratefully sat down. “Ah, finally!”

“That was weird with your shapeshifting, right?” Amethyst thought aloud. “Not like bad, but unexpected.”

“Yeah, I’d guess I’m limited by being three quarters human, but I don’t think Steven can change eye color or make his hair grow. I’ll do some experimenting with it when we aren’t in public, keep you posted.”

“Me-ow!” The gem uttered suggestively.

“Not like that!” Stevonnie exclaimed.

Amethyst chuckled. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just two crazy kids, in love, curious about shapeshifting…”

“Amethyst. I swear I’m going to throw you off the top of this thing!” The fusion jokingly threatened.

The pair laughed for a bit until they approached the top. From the high vantage point, they could see all of Beach City, the boardwalk, the shops, and the cliff, around which Pilot and the gems were preparing to save the universe. “Do you think Pilot’s ok?” Stevonnie asked unprompted.

“Probably?” Amethyst replied. “Everyone is with him, so we’d probably gotten a call if something was wrong.”

“I meant in general.” They elaborated. “Pilot never really tells people if he’s hurting.”

“I know what you mean.” Amethyst recalled how she had to chase Pilot under the sea to have him finally open up about how Ulndae still haunted him. “What’s got you thinking about this?”

“I know you weren’t really causing that much trouble on the beach. This was all a trick by Pilot to make me take the day off.”

“I’m sorry Stevonnie. We were worried about you.”

“Then why couldn’t you just talk to me!” The fusion shouted.

Amethyst drew back. “I’m sorry, I don’t know! It was Pilot’s idea!”

“No, I’m sorry. I know.” Stevonnie shook their head. “It isn’t just this. Yesterday in training, I think I hurt him a lot more than he let on. He said he bruised his ankle but after I healed him, I saw blood on his jeans.”

“Oh, man! We should really talk to him about that!”

“Can you do it?” The fusion asked. “I don’t think he’ll want to tell me.”

“Why not?”

“I think it’s because I’m his apprentice, he feels responsible for me and doesn’t want to offload his problems on me. It sucks.”

They were quiet for a while. “You know,” Amethyst suggested, “Pilot would probably understand if you didn’t want to be his apprentice anymore.”

“What?”

“He wouldn’t want you to take over his job just to make him happy.”

“I know.” Replied Stevonnie. “I want to be his apprentice.”

“Why?” Amethyst inquired. “It seems like a lot of work for not much.”

“Not much!?” They exclaimed in confusion. “When I’m the Pilot I’ll be able to explore the whole multiverse! You’ve seen some of it! Steven, Connie, and I have seen more! There’s so much out there, and so much of it is beautiful! I can’t wait to see where my first portal leads me.”

The pair of them stepped out of the ride. It was getting close to the allotted time for the raffle so they started wandering in the direction of the table. “You know Stevonnie,” Amethyst smiled, “you are very human.”

“How so?”

“Well, look at Beach City. You have Funland, the arcade, Jill’s Sandwiches, everything you could possibly need to keep yourself entertained. If it weren’t for the Earth needing protection, me and the other gems would probably never leave.”

“Really?”

“Why would we? But you humans, you move about all the time. Sometimes you aren’t even looking for something, you just want to go places. I think that’s how you can do stuff like invent sandwich restaurants so fast. I suppose that’s why old Archie couldn’t convince any gems to be his apprentice.”

“Yeah…”

The area around the raffle table was even more packed than it had been earlier. Temporary barriers had been set up to give Mr. Smiley and his temps room to sort through the prizes.

“Okay everybody!” Mr. Smiley called through a microphone. “We’re about to start drawing numbers for the raffle! I hope you have your tickets!”

Stevonnie and Amethyst took out their tickets and checked the numbers, 221 and 222 respectively.

“This is how it’s going to work!” The park owner continued. “I’m going to pick a prize and take a number out of this thing.” He patted the now deactivated raffle drum. “If the number I take out and the number on your ticket match, the prize is yours! Everything must go! Let’s start with this Surfboard from Beach City’s Surf Shop!”

Prizes started to be handed out a fair speed. People would clap a little when somebody got a prize, but the pace was kept brisk by the crowds excitement at the thought of getting one of their own. The Surfboard went to an older lady who, as it turned out, was a surfer in her youth and still tried her hand at it on calmer waves. Some prizes were won by people who couldn’t make it to the prize giveaway but had left their numbers, those prizes were put aside to be picked up later. Suitcase Sam got a collection of water guns which prompted a very subtle grin and nudges from his friends.

Eventually, the prize they were waiting for came up. “Up next is half price sandwiches for a month at Jill’s Sandwiches, located just outside Beach City on Bay Way!” Mr. Smiley reached into the drum.

Amethyst crossed her fingers. “Oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please!”

Mr. Smiley pulled out a card. “Two one zero!”

“Aw nuts!”

In the crowd a familiar hand held a ticket aloft. “Over here!” Out of the crowd strode Vidalia, holding her youngest in one arm.

“Hey, maybe it’s not too bad.” Stevonnie considered optimistically. “You and Vidalia are friends, maybe she’ll treat you some time.”

Amethyst looked on with a glimmer of hope as Vidalia took the colorful envelope from Mr. Smiley.

Onion whispered something to his mother.

Vidalia turned to her child with a loving grin. “Since you asked so nicely… Here you go troublemaker.” She passed her prize to Onion.

There were several awws from the audience, mostly tourists who had not yet known the terror of Vidalia’s child.

Stevonnie and Amethyst felt their hopes sink like lead. Thirty days of half price sandwiches had been lost, not only to them, but to every being in the universe that appreciated food.

“Let’s go.” Amethyst sulked.

“Hang on.” Stevonnie insisted. “There’s only a few things left, some of them look pretty cool. You might win some doughnuts.”

The next item Mr. Smiley presented was another envelope. “This is a plus one ticket to Lights Up, a new nightclub in nearby Surf City! You can redeem this ticket to get you and your plus one one-time free entry at any point from tonight to one month from now!” He pulled out a card from the raffle drum. “Two two two!”

Amethyst looked up, checked her ticket, and started screaming with excitement. “Here! Over here! That’s me!” She jumped up and down to be seen in the crowd before using Stevonnie to carve a path to the table.

“Congratulations!” Mr. Smiley grinned.

Amethyst took the envelope before Stevonnie took her aside so Mr. Smiley could continue the raffle.

Amethyst opened the envelope. She and the fusion marveled at the black card with colorful dots. “You wanna be my plus one?” She offered.

“I don’t think I can.” Stevonnie pointed to the card’s fine print. “Sixteen plus only.” They read.

“You look old enough.” Amethyst reminded them.

“They check for ID at the door at these kinds of places.” The fusion replied. “Not that I’ve tried to sneak into age restricted establishments.” Their eyes shifted.

“Well, I guess I know who I’m taking then.” The gem announced.


	10. Another Fusion's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Stevonnie is away, Pilot and Bismuth take a break from their repeatedly failed railgun prototype. At the same time, Peridot tires of her an Lapis' aerial exercises. While on the ground, Peridot and Pilot make a breakthrough. Unfortunately, it seems they forgot to introduce Lapis to a curtain someone.

Once Amethyst and Stevonnie left for Funland, Pilot and Bismuth had swiftly returned to their prototype.

“Fire!” Roared Bismuth. Another slug hit the sand. “I just don’t get it! That makes eight redesigns and we still can’t hit the target!” She dejectedly thrust her arm out at the unblemished apple they had been firing at. “I don’t know Pilot, until we get our hands on Homeworld’s technology, we might be wasting our time.” She sat down on the beach.

Pilot nodded, sitting beside her. “Perhaps. Axia’s current guns should do the job, it just would have been nice to have an edge.”

“Of course. Speaking of, are you sure I can’t make a weapon for you?”

“Afraid not.” They had had this conversation a few times before.

“I know you don’t like knives and swords. How about a war hammer?”

“Some places don’t like people carrying weapons. A war hammer is difficult to hide.”

“How about a cudgel, or a gauntlet like Garnet?”

Pilot shook his head. “It’s fine.”

“What do you have against my work?” She joked.

“Absolutely nothing Bismuth!” He replied in all seriousness. “The first Pilot trusted you with his signature weapon. If I wanted a weapon I’d want one from you.”

“He only let me knock the dints out of it. I had all these ideas, like an axe head, or a drill shaft, but he’d have none of it.”

“What was it like? Was it special in any way?”

“Not really.” Bismuth strained to recall the details of the item. “Medium-carbon steel, both ends flattened to a dull edge, one end bent backwards, standard prying tool.”

“Was he a good fighter?” Pilot already knew the answer but needed confirmation.

“Yes. He was very fast, used to zip from enemy to enemy poofing as he went. If you were in the ranks behind him they used to say you were on ‘gem picking duty’, all you’d be doing that battle was avoid artillery while picking up the gems he defeated since he couldn’t bubble them.”

“How did he fight?”

“A lot like you. The enemy could never quite pin him down. No such thing as an enemy too big for him either! I remember this one time, there was this fusion of six Homeworld agates, that cornered Biggs, Pilot, and I, I thought we were cracked so me and Biggs were looking around for a way out. You know what your predecessor did?”

“What?”

“He shot her in the eye, sped up to her, and disassembled the brute, prying off one gem at a time! Never seen anything like it. Sardonyx was there to help us a second later and all he did was apologize for stealing the show and ask what was for supper! Why are you asking?”

Pilot looked away. “I want to know what I have to live up to.”

Bismuth lent back in surprise. “Pilot you should have said so! I don’t think highly of that Pilot because he was good in a battle, it was because he was such a great friend! He knew more than anyone first gave him credit for, but he was always interested in what you had to say. He was always up to join or make a game off the battlefield, but he was also a shoulder to cry on. When you spoke to him you almost forgot he was a human, he was one of you, part of the family. I think you’ve got that part down Pilot, you can get the rest later.”

“T-Thanks Bismuth.” Pilot sat quietly for a while. “Hey Bismuth, there is something I might want you to make.”

“Oh really?”

“Can you make metal piercing darts?”

“Probably. I can make darts that could go through steel, whether they will depends. How good’s your throw.”

“Exceptionally accurate.”

“Well then we’re in Bismuth!” She chuckled. “Is that all?”

“Could you install one of these in each one?” Pilot opened his fist to reveal a tiny hexagonal microchip, no bigger than a peppercorn. Connected to each facet was a long hair-thin wire, the wires were braided together to form a single strand coiled neatly into a spiral around the chip.

“What is it?”

“A direct electron displacement chip. A DED chip for short.” The wires unraveled themselves stretched themselves across his hand. “Mom can directly wire herself into anything these wires get into. Could be useful on any robonoids we encounter.”

Above them in the sky, Peridot knelt on her trash can lid and panted. “Hey Lapis! I’m getting tired!”

Lapis swooped toward her, full of energy. “How can you be tired? We’ve only been going for eight hours!”

Peridot groaned slightly as she unconsciously started sinking.

Lapis quickly moved a dollop of water under Peridot’s transportation and held her arms reassuringly. “It’s ok. You go take a break. I’ll keep going up here until you come back.”

Peridot nodded gratefully as Lapis let her go and she floated down.

Peridot landed and stepped off her lid. She saw Pilot and Bismuth and headed for them. “What are you guys sitting around for?”

“We’re taking a break.” Pilot explained.

“Really? Me too!” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the prototype. She immediately changed course towards it. “What’s this?”

Pilot and Bismuth both immediately got up to make sure she wouldn’t break anything or hurt herself. “A prototype,” Bismuth explained, “it’s an upgrade to Axia’s railguns.”

Peridot glanced over at the ship. “I never got why you didn’t just install laser blast cannons.”

“Firstly, you can’t fire flashbangs or tear gas canisters via a laser cannon.” Pilot noted defensively. “Then there’s the fact that most high tech societies, including Homeworld, have lasers and thus don’t develop defenses against a fist sized piece of metal hurtling at them at up to a percent of the speed of light! Also, since fundamental forces affect an inert round differently to highly concentrated light, I get to take advantage of the fundamental law of space combat.”

“What’s that?” Asked Peridot.

“Sir Isaac Newton is the deadliest son-of-a-bitch in space!”

Seeing he was getting overexcited, Bismuth put a hand on Pilot’s shoulder. “Cool it Pilot. There’s no need to go crazy.”

Pilot took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Yeah. Sorry. I spent most my life around railguns, so I guess I have strong feelings about them.”

“No, it’s cool.” Said Peridot, slightly awed. “I didn’t really know what it was, I thought it was a regular projectile weapon. Can it really reach one percent the speed of light? How does it work?”

Pilot stepped up to point at the components. “This wire becomes electromagnetically active when charged. Therefore, as the current goes down the wire, it carries the ammunition along the barrel and throws it forwards. I’ll load it to show you.” Pilot took a small metal pellet and fed it into the front of the prototype. He picked up the alligator clips.

Suddenly, there was a splat as the apple they were aiming at was reduced to puree.

Pilot looked down at the clips in his hands, unconnected, their shouldn’t have been a charge passing through it. He put the clips down and felt the copper wires carefully, no heat, no electricity had passed through the device. He gently tipped the weapon forward, there was no longer a round in the chamber. He turned to Peridot, her hand thrust out. “Did you do that?”

“Was I not meant to?”

“We usually count down from three before firing.” Bismuth told her.

“How did you do that?” Pilot questioned.

“Like you said. I pushed my magnetic powers down the wire and it threw the ammunition out the end.”

“And without electric heat!” Pilot’s face lit up with inspiration. He took a screwdriver out of the box and removed the prototype from its base. He took one of his miniature flashbangs and loaded it into the muzzle. He handed it to Peridot and pointed her down range. “Do it again! A little less forcefully. Imagine that if it hits someone it would sting a bit but not go into them!”

“Uh?” There were too many variables to be considered. She poked Pilot in the cheek with her free hand. “What’s the mass of one of your flashbangs?”

“Not much?” Pilot responded, wondering what she was doing. Axia whispered the correct answer in his ear. “I mean about for grams.”

“Okay.” Peridot nodded. “Is the density of kelmepi flesh and human flesh the same?”

“Almost exactly. You are poking mostly into scar tissue there, so you may want to try the other one for accuracy.”

The green gem did so. She did some math in her head and released Pilot’s face. “What am I aiming at?”

“The ground?” Suggested Bismuth.

She lowered the weapon slightly. “Do you want to count down?”

“Sure!” The larger gem replied. “Three! Two! One! Fire!”

There was a bright flash of light down the beach where the flashbang had struck the sand and detonated. Peridot was almost thrown backwards by the recoil, but Bismuth caught her.

Pilot danced happily. “We’ve done it!”

“We’ve figured out how to upgrade the railguns?” Bismuth asked.

“No! Not even close I’m afraid! We’ve got Peridot a weapon! Can you make one of these with a grip and housing?”

“Of course!”

Peridot glanced at the prototype doubtfully. “I don’t think this will work for me.”

“Why not?” Questioned Bismuth.

“This thing almost knocked me over when I fired it, and besides where am I going to keep all the stuff to fire out of it? Not all of us can pull explosives out of nowhere, you know!”

“Good point.” Pilot nodded. He wrapped his hand around hers so that the both held the weapon. “How about now? Fire at will Peridot.”

“You haven’t loaded it. Who’s Will?”

“Yes I have and just shoot the beach a few more times.”

She sent her magnetic powers down the wire again. To her surprise, the railgun fired. She fired again, again the weapon was loaded. Pilot helped steady her grip. She fired a few more times.

“Problem solved!” Pilot grinned.

“You can’t just hold my hand throughout a battle!”

“Of course not.” Pilot agreed. “But here we have a weapon you can’t reload or handle the recoil of, and I can’t fire.”

“A useless weapon.” Peridot summarized.

“But maybe not for them.”

“Them?” Bismuth queried.

Peridot understood. “Hey Bismuth, can you make four of these?”

“Yes, but why?”

“We should probably test the theory before we potentially waste materials. That is if you want to.” Pilot offered his hand.

“Hang on.” Peridot swished her hand in the air switching on a nearby radio. “Let’s go.”

Up above, Lapis glanced down and froze. Her best friend was being spun around by Pilot! Lapis had overheard Pearl talking to Bismuth about Warp Pearl, her fusion with the kelmep. Lapis remembered when she herself had danced with somebody on that beach. She grimaced with horror. She dove into a stoop.

Lapis fell between the dancers like a javelin from the heavens, blowing the pair apart. Before Pilot could get up, Lapis was upon him clutching his collar. “How dare you try to use my friend like that!” She clasped her watery wings around his head.

Bismuth grabbed her and managed to pull her off. “Pilot needs to breathe! What’s gotten into you Lapis!?”

Water columns ending in fists rose from the ocean as Lapis struggled against Bismuths arms. “What’s gotten into me!? How could you just stand by and let him do that to her!?”

Having noticed the commotion Pearl and Garnet left their work and rushed to the mounting confrontation. “Lapis! Calm down and think about this rationally!” Garnet commanded.

Quietly, Axia lined one of the ships main railguns with Lapis’ head.

“Rationally!?” Lapis screamed.

She was cut off by a nearby shout. “Pilot wasn’t using me!”

Lapis’ rage subsided somewhat. “Peridot?”

“I said Pilot wasn’t using me.” The small gem repeated quieter, afraid of upsetting Lapis further.

Pilot got up, drying his hair with his trusty towel. “I wasn’t making Peridot fuse, I never would. She’s my friend too.”

Lapis’ water constructs collapsed under gravity. As she seemed to calm down Bismuth let her go.

Lapis turned to Peridot. “Then why were you trying to fuse with him?”

“I wanted to.”

Lapis flinched as panic replaced fury. She grasped her friend’s arms. “Why would you want to do that!? Fusion is terrifying! I told you about being Malachite!”

“T-That was with Jasper! Not every fusion is like that!”

“But Pilot is… You don’t know what fusion will be like for you!”

“Yes I do!” Peridot argued back.

“How could you? You’ve never even fused before!”

“Yes I have!” Peridot immediately regretted her hot-headedness.

Lapis went numb. “You’ve fused?” She breathed. “Who? Which gem?”

“It wasn’t with a gem per se…”

Lapis looked Pilot dead in the eye. “You?”

Pilot nodded, betraying neither pride nor shame.

She returned her gaze to Peridot. “Did he hurt you?”

“No.”

Pearl took a step closer. “Are you alright Lapis?”

Before anyone could act, Lapis bolted into the air.

“Lapis, wait!”

“It’s alright Peridot.” Garnet assured her. “She’s not gone far.” She pointed to the lighthouse at the top of the cliff.

Peridot called up her trusty lid and got on board. “I’m going to try talking to her.”

“Alright.” The fusion nodded.

“Pilot, come with me!”

“Peridot, I’m not sure that’s a good-.”

“She needs to see Warp Peridot.”

Pilot sighed before gabbing the metal handle below Peridot. “If I die, write something humorous on my gravestone.”

The pair ascended.

Lapis was curled up in a ball by the lighthouse when she heard a familiar voice. “Hey Lapis!”

She looked up. Hovering before her was Peridot on her trash can lid, hanging from beneath was Pilot. “Hi Lapis.” He waved with his free hand.

“Room for two more?” Asked Peridot.

Lapis glanced around the bare ground around her. “Sure.”

The pair landed and sat beside her. “Listen Lapis,” Peridot began, “I just wanted to say sorry for not telling you about Warp Peridot sooner.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Well I’m sure Pilot is sorry to. Aren’t you Pilot?”

“It’s not his fault either! It’s mine.”

“How is it your fault?” Peridot asked. “We’re the ones that fused.”

“It’s just that… I can’t believe you fused with- I mean, before I did!”

“Well you’ve been through a lot concerning fusion.” Pilot reminded her. “There’s no race for you to fuse Lapis.”

Suddenly Lapis laughed a bit, it was a hollow laugh. “You know, I had it perfectly imagined in my head how my next fusion would go, the good one.”

“May I ask how?” Asked Pilot.

“Yes.”

Pilot waited a few seconds before realising the gem’s literal-mindedness. “How?”

“I’d be out here, or on the barn, alone with someone, usually Steven or you Peridot.”

“Me?”

Lapis nodded with a slight smile. “Then something would happen, we’d hug, or I’d trip over and fall on them and then we’d fuse!”

“Then what?” Asked Peridot, fascinated.

“It would be ok. I’d be ok, they’d be ok, we’d be ok! Our fusion would be happy, and we wouldn’t hurt each other! Everybody would love our fusion and I wouldn’t be…” She fell silent and her hands rested on her chest.

“Afraid of Malachite anymore?” Pilot finished.

She nodded in response.

“I’m afraid trauma doesn’t work like that, take it from me. If you want to fuse again, and you definitely don’t have to, you can’t count on a mistake to take that first step. If you want to fuse, Steven, Peridot, me, Amethyst, everyone down there, we’ll be there to support you. You got one thing right though; We will love your fusions.”

“Thanks.” Lapis nodded.

Suddenly Peridot grabbed her hands. “Do you want to fuse now Lapis?”

“No!” Lapis immediately slipped out of Peridot’s grasp and flew just out of reach. “I-I’m not ready! I don’t trust myself to not hurt you!”

Peridot set her lid to float and went to step on. “I trust you! It’s alright!”

Pilot set a hand on her shoulder before looking up at Lapis. “Nobody’s gonna make you fuse, are they Peridot?”

“N-No, just if you ever felt like it…” The green gem formulated her next offer for a few moments. “Do you want to meet Warp Peridot?”

“What?” Lapis registered a slight disheartening from Peridot. “I mean, if you want to show them to me.”

“I do!” Peridot held onto Pilots hands.

“You sure?” Pilot asked.

“Yes! I want to see them!”

“Alright.” With that the pair danced. Peridot burst into light as Pilot dissolved into fibrous white veins which vanished into Peridot’s gem.

Before Lapis was a muted green figure, they were taller than both Peridot and Pilot, though only by a few inches in Pilot’s case. Their face was mostly Peridot’s, though she could see the beginnings of ears which she suspected she would see extend into long kelmepi points if not for the dense, obstructing hair. Their visor was opaque black save for a neon blue wavy line and a targeting reticule of the same color just above where she suspected the right eye to be. The visor’s owner tapped its side, turning it transparent so Lapis could see four eyes twinkle with keen intelligence. The fusion wore Pilot’s clothes, altered only by extra sleeves and gloves for their extra pair of arms.

“Hello Lapis!” Warp Peridot grinned cheerfully. They stepped back onto Peridot’s lid and rose up to Lapis’ level.

“Hello.” She looked them over, they seemed stable, or at least not monstrous. “I don’t want to be rude but why did Peridot want me to meet you?”

“Good question!” They held their chin for a moment before remembering. “Well, since you aren’t ready to fuse, Peridot thought you might want to spend time with a new fusion and help them figure themselves out.”

“Figure yourself out?”

“I’ve only ever existed for about ten minutes total. Most of that was spent fighting a humandrill! I have no idea who I am! I’m pretty sure I’m nice though.”

Lapis nodded with middling understanding. She wanted to help Peridot with her first fusion. “Well, what was the reason for forming you on the beach?”

“Oh right!” The fusion held out their hand. The prototype railgun flew up into their hand. “They thought I could fight with this on Homeworld. Suppose I should test it out.” As they looked about their visor when dark again, zooming in their vision. They pointed across the city. “Hey Lapis! I bet I can hit the tittle in ‘City’ on the Beach City water tower from here!”

“Tittle?” Asked Lapis, squinting at the structure they were pointing at.

“The dot on top of the i.”

Not wanting to reveal she was yet to learn how to read English, Lapis scanned the glyphs until she saw one with a dot above it. “I don’t know, it’s kinda small and very far away.”

Warp Peridot fired. They raised their arms triumphantly. “Bullseye! I got it!”

Lapis couldn’t see for certain from their distance. She decided to take their word for it. “Nice! How did you do that?”

Warp Peridot shot twice more to ensure the first time wasn’t a fluke. Both hit home. “I don’t know, I guess it’s just a matter of focus. Focus! That’s it!” The started zipping around with fervent excitement. “Lapis I could kiss you!”

Lapis raised her hands defensively. “What is it?”

“Focus! A pattern has been gnawing away at the back of Pilot’s mind ever since he formed Warp Pearl! Each of his fusions empower a specific concept, it makes sense since he’s a conceptual being. With Pearl it was obvious, they empower fear. But what about me? Well, in hindsight of course it all makes sense. Pilot and Peridot both have a propensity for learning, but both are limited in their expression. Peridot has a hard time discerning what information is immediately useful so talks at length on unimportant subjects, Pilot on the other hand, well he might be a bit ADHD, his mind flits between ideas constantly. Together their limitations cancel out so I can focus! Thank you, Lapis!”

“You’re welcome?”

“Now I understand my powers I can use them! I can see farther! I can levitate metal without moving my hands!” A few bits of scrap metal Peridot and Lapis had been practicing with rose apparently unbidden as evidence. “I can transfer the meaning of son-of-a-bitch directly into Peridot’s memory!” They suddenly looked crestfallen. “I just transferred the meaning of son-of-a-bitch directly into Peridot’s memory. Garnet’s going to kill Pilot.”

“What does son-of-a-bitch mean?”

“I shouldn’t, but Peridot’s just going to tell you later so…” They lent in and whispered the definition to her.

“Weird.” Lapis commented. “What else can you do?” She was smiling a smile usually reserved for Peridot but hadn’t noticed yet.

Warp Peridot smiled back. Metal obstacles organised themselves behind them. “Let’s find out.”


	11. Roosters and Dragons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Greg has a nagging concern, a concern about something Pilot said. The weight of the concern is great enough for him to close down the carwash for the day and confront Pilot about it in person. Thankfully Warp Peridot is more than happy to explain in detail, though doing so will require a journey into the philosophy of pilots past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, slightly rude wordplay. Also discussion of a fictional medical condition that negatively impacts infants.

Greg stood at the far end of the beach scratching the back of his neck. He was never good at confrontation, but he had been thinking about his conversation with Pilot two days prior. Particularly he was thinking about one offhand comment the kelmep made, “I mean, the wife of a soldier is no life for her.”

The statement’s implications had coalesced in Greg’s mind and now rubbed him up the wrong way. The connotations sat so badly with him that he had closed the car wash early in the middle of a day full of tourists to do business with.

Greg collected himself and marched onto the beach. He came face to face with Pearl as she exited Pilot’s ship. “Good afternoon Greg. What brings you here?”

“Hi Pearl! I was just looking for Pilot.” He quickly scanned the beach for his son. “Where’s Steven got to?”

“He fused with Connie and they went to Funland with Amethyst.”

“Oh good.” Though Greg didn’t like going behind his son’s back, he also didn’t want Steven to see if this became a heated argument.

“As for Pilot, he, Lapis, and Peridot went up there a while ago.” She pointed up at a pair of silhouettes whizzing about. She poked her head around the side of the ship, seeing Bismuth was not up to much. “Bismuth!” She called. “Would you mind fetching Pilot for me? Greg wants to see them!”

Bismuth got up with a nod and sprang into the air.

Lapis and Warp Peridot’s play was interrupted as Bismuth appeared between them. “Hey Pilot! Pearl said- Hang on is that…” She fell out of their range of hearing before she could finish.

Lapis and the fusion shared a confused look before Bismuth jumped up again.

“So, this is Pilot and Peridot’s fusion?”

“In the light and conceptual flesh!”

She leapt up again. “Did the prototype work?”

“Like a dream!”

Another jump. “Oh that’s right! Pearl wanted me to tell Pilot, so I guess you…” Another fall.

Warp Peridot sighed. “This is ridiculous. Lapis, can you hold her up.”

Lapis held back a chuckle. “No way! This is funny!”

Bismuth returned. “You will probably be an appropriate alternative since you are a fusion containing…” Bismuth left.

When Bismuth next arose, before she could speak, Warp Peridot yelled, “Just summarize, for the love of Chorus!”

Bismuth gave a curt nod and grabbed them, taking them down with her. Lapis circled lazily down after them, casually taking the metal lid as it stopped defying gravity.

Bismuth landed holding Warp Peridot bridal style. The fusion sprang out of her hold and sauntered over to Pearl. “What’s up?”

“Greg was looking for Pilot.” Pearl explained, gesturing toward the man.

“Hey there Warp Peridot! It’s nice to finally meet you.” Greg said politely. “What’s brings you here?”

Warp Peridot shrugged. “Stevonnie’s having a Stevonnie day, why can’t I have a Warp Peridot day? But anyway, what can I do for you?”

“I wanted to ask Pilot about something he said on Monday. I understand if you’d rather I speak to him later though.”

“Why would I? Pilot doesn’t mind Peridot knowing about that, do you mind?”

“I suppose not.”

Warp Peridot stepped round to the entrance of his ship. “Would you like to talk in the shade?”

“Yes.”

At that moment, Lapis glided into a gentle landing. “Hey Warp Peridot? Where are you going?”

“Just having a chat with Greg here. I’ll probably be back soon.”

Lapis crossed her arms. “Son-of-a-!”

She was silenced as the fusion warped over and clapped all four hands over her mouth. “Don’tsaythathereyou’llgetmeintrouble!” Seeing the perplexed looks they got from the others, Warp Peridot lowered their arms. “I’ll finish in a few minutes.”

Lapis nodded and returned to the sky.

Warp Peridot guided Greg into the ship. Axia greeted their guest. “Welcome aboard Mr. Universe.”

“Hey Axia.”

“Hi Mumia.”

Ignoring the fusion’s portmanteau Axia continued. “Would you like some tea?”

“Yes please.” Greg replied.

“No thank you.” Warp Peridot responded.

“I shall just get it ready.” Axia affirmed. “Where shall I bring it to?”

“Where are we going Warp Peridot?”

Warp Peridot considered. “Well, the engine room just underwent maintenance, so it will probably be irradiated for a few hours. How about the library?”

“Sure. You have a library in here?”

“Only a little one.” Warp Peridot headed to the right-hand door and selected an option. The door opened to small but not cramped room lined wall to wall with bookshelves. Most of the books looked very old although some looked contemporary. The one bare patch of wall had a writing desk nestled in neatly with papers and books strewn about along with a couple of holographic screens. In the middle of the room was a low coffee table surrounded by three chairs. On the table in front of one chair was a steaming cup of tea.

As Greg headed for his seat, he happened to glance down at the writing desk and saw an opened paper. “What’s Pilot doing here? ICRM? That’s a disease isn’t it?”

“Infant Cardiac Rotation Malformation.” Warp Peridot nodded. “Baby is born with a mis-angled heart, causing potentially lethal complications. If they survive, the heart tends to right itself after a week or so. Pilot’s been studying it.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s a strange condition. It only affects a subset of babies, all of whom are of South Asian decent; It’s totally unexplained, though assumed to be genetic; and strangest of all Greg, this is the only universe this condition exists in, to Pilot’s knowledge. Also, Connie had the condition and might pass it on to her children.”

“She told Pilot that?”

“No. When Pilot first read of the disease, he asked Priyanka about it. She assumed Pilot knew she and her daughter had had it somehow and told him everything.”

“I see. Any leads?”

“No. Pilot would need genetic information to properly study it and he knows Priyanka would be uncomfortable giving a blood sample since he’s not a doctor.” Warp Peridot sat down. “But anyway, what did you want to talk about?”

Greg sat by his tea. “Well, when Pilot and I were talking about Kiki he said the wife of a soldier is no life for her.”

“Yes, do you disagree?”

“No, but it got me thinking and I have to know, does Pilot think of himself as a soldier?”

Warp Peridot looked down with a conflicted look on their face. “He’s not meant to.”

“What do you mean?”

“According to the writings of Pilots past, especially the oldest ones, the main role of a Pilot is to explore and improve the multiverse. To quote Dwight, ‘Though I may fight and deceive to achieve my goals, my goal is never to become a fighter or deceiver.’”

“What do you mean writings of Pilots past? Who’s Dwight?”

“Look around you. When Pilots get old they start writing, mostly it’s memoirs interspersed with personal philosophy.” Warp Peridot got up and grabbed a smallish journal off the shelf. The brown cover was devoid of any mark save a small stamp of the ace of clubs. They came back. “Here’s some of his work, Pilots are traditionally tight lipped about which Pilot is writing, we kind of pretend the Pilot has been the same person all this time. Since all of us writing ‘by Pilot’ would get confusing, each of us has a secret symbol stamped on our writing after we retire.” They opened the book and showed it to Greg. “This is from the time he trapped the Hervoken.”

Pasted into the book was a black and white photo of a sharply dressed young man sitting at a table. He wore a light-colored suit and fedora, only slightly dirty. In one hand he held an ace of clubs, the symbol was bisected by the Pilot’s wavy line. His other hand was lighting a cigarette on an old iron lantern, the flame of which seemed to have a face roaring with inhuman fury.

“So, you do everything the past Pilots say is the right thing to do?”

“Absolutely not! These books are just advice, if you come into this library with a question, you would probably leave with eight conflicting answers! Chen, for example, called the Pilot a soldier of fortune who accepts only gratitude and respect as payment. There’s only three things you might call rules and it’s more just a foregone conclusion since every Pilot has been largely moral.”

“What are they?”

“Don’t abuse the Pilot’s power, don’t squander the Pilot’s power, don’t tell anyone apart from your apprentice the Pilot’s secret.”

“The Pilot’s secret?”

“It’s a secret.”

“Alright.” Greg accepted. “Then why did Pilot call himself a soldier?”

“Pilot is doing a lot of fighting since having met the Crystal Gems, especially now Homeworld’s gotten involved. You have to admit, the Crystal Gems, some of Pilot’s closest friends, they’re soldiers, and it rubs off on him.”

“You think the Crystal Gems are soldiers?” Greg asked.

“Look at them. Pearl, Garnet, and Bismuth are the remnants of an army, they’ve been stepping up to protect the Earth for thousands of years. As for Amethyst,” Warp Peridot cringed conflictedly, “I know that we are all for gems choosing their own lives, but Amethyst didn’t. When she was found in the kindergarten the Crystal Gems were the first members of her kind she had met, she would have done anything for them. She would have done anything, and they sent her to fight corrupted gems.”

Greg noticed the fusion’s voice crack as a tear rolled down their cheek. “Are you alright?”

“Peridot’s been thinking about it for a while. She wants to tell Amethyst she doesn’t have to be this, but she’s been a soldier so long she’s found happiness in it.”

“Well, if she’s happy there’s not really much that needs worrying about. Besides, she’s not just a soldier, she cooks and plays video games, right?”

“Yeah, she does.” Warp Peridot rubbed their four eyes under their visor. They composed themselves. “But you still haven’t told me why you came to talk.”

“It can wait.” Greg assured them, not wanting to touch a potentially sensitive subject so soon after upsetting the fusion.

“Are you sure?” Warp Peridot asked. “Your expression on the beach suggested nagging concern. Judging by the time and your normal work hours, I’d say you closed the carwash early during peak tourist season to come talk to me, to Pilot I should say.”

This was not the first time Pilot’s analytical powers had been turned on Greg. While it was a marvel to experience, it did make the human slightly uncomfortable. “It’s fine, I’m rich. I can afford some time off.”

“You could afford to abandon the establishment entirely. Yet you don’t. Suggests emotional attachment, pride in one’s work. Only non-immediate issue that could outweigh that is concern for your son, Pilot’s apprentice. You started your point with Pilot’s self-reference as a soldier. You fear Pilot is trying to make Steven into a soldier.”

“Yes.” Greg stated, stilling his nerves with a sip of tea.

“He can’t. Make your son into a soldier that is. Even if he wanted to.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s not in his nature. Steven is firm on his personal morals and he is a strong proponent for redemption. The only way to spur him to violence is to convince him there is no other way, even then it is a hard sell because his arguments are always so reasonable. He’s what Chen would call a dragon.”

“A dragon?” Greg questioned.

Warp Peridot nodded. A book slipped of the shelf and floated toward them, dangling by its metal clasps. On its cover were the symbols 飛行士 arranged vertically. The fusion opened the book, all the writing was in kanji but on the first page was a color photograph.

The photo was of two people, a man and a woman, stood in a drawing room, clearly posing for the picture.

The woman was quite old with curly grey hair and some lines on her dark skin, especially around her face, although she still appeared quite fit. She was wearing black jeans, a blue headband to hold her hair back, and a matching buttoned shirt, collared but sleeveless so as to better show her mechanical right arm. The arm was bronze in color and across its shoulder was the Pilot’s blue wavy line.

The man seemed to be of Japanese descent. He was taller and younger than his companion, no older than twenty-five. He wore a blue kamishimo and had his black hair in a small bun. He held a katana, partially drawn from its black scabbard to reveal its unusual blade. The blade was black toward the back of the sword and blue toward the cutting edge, close to where the blade met the guard, the border between the black and blue was distorted into the shape of the Pilot’s wavy line.

“This photo was taken shortly after Chen’s mentor, Misty, retired.” Warp Peridot explained. “It was Chen’s belief that there were two personality types that made effective Pilots, he called them dragons and cocks.”

Greg gave a disbelieving glance.

“As in roosters.” Warp Peridot sighed. “Dragons, like Steven and Chen’s mentor, are philosophical and happier to plan in advance, they tend to make every move count. They suffer more greatly from the unexpected but tend to be devastating when they do strike. Roosters on the other hand,” they gestured to Chen, “are more pragmatic, they dive into a problem and figure out how to solve it on the way down. They live more dangerously, but they tend to be more adaptable.”

“I see.” Greg nodded. “Do you think it’s true?”

Warp Peridot shrugged. “No system can accurately define all personalities, but it’s a good tool to analyse your strengths and weaknesses.”

“Which is Pilot then?”

“Rooster. Absolutely.” They grinned.

“Mighty Spark?” Greg offered, enjoying the little game.

“Dragon. You can’t be that powerful without considering your actions.”

“His mentor?”

“Monika? Rooster. From how my daddy Spark tells it she used to push him just a little further than he was ready for, one of the reasons he loved her.”

“Her mentor?”

“Khenbish often spoke of consulting with the spirits before she took major actions in her memoirs. Dragon.”

“And her mentor?”

“That would be Chen. Self-proclaimed rooster.”

“So it goes dragon, rooster, dragon, roster!” Greg realized.

“Yep, pure coincidence." The fusion nodded.

“What about Connie?”

“Connie?”

“Well she’s as much a part of your apprentice as Steven is. Her personality will affect Stevonnie’s.”

“True.” Warp Peridot agreed. “I’m not sure with her. On the one hand she’s no slouch when it comes to long term planning, on the other Pilot sees so much of himself in her, more than in Steven to be honest. I think we’ll have to wait to see how she grows up.”

Greg nodded with acceptance. He finished his tea and checked his watch. “I should probably head back to the carwash.”

“Of course.” The fusion accepted, getting up with him. “Thank you for visiting.”

“Thank you for talking to me.”

“My pleasure. To be honest, when I first saw you I thought you were looking for dirt on Steven and Connie’s relationship.”

Greg laughed. “No, I wouldn’t pry on my son’s life like that.” They got to the exit of the ship, the other gems were away and out of earshot. “Speaking of, has Pilot spoken to Kiki yet?”

Warp Peridot immediately split apart. Peridot’s head darted around rapidly in her confusion. “What just happened?”

Ignoring her, Pilot gave Greg his answer. “We talked, I told her everything, it’s fine.”

“Are you sure?” Greg asked.

“Yeah.” He turned back to Peridot. “Would you like to fuse again?”

“Do you want to?”

“Yes.”

“Alright.” The pair recombined quickly.

“Sorry about that.” Warp Peridot smiled. Their metal lid flew into their hand. “Nice to see you Greg!” The hopped on and flew off to join Lapis.

Greg went to ask Garnet to keep an eye on her fellow fusion and went back to reopen his business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all, as you may have noticed, this wasn't made on Wednesday. I'm going to see if I can keep up with uploading two chapters per week. For the foreseeable future I shall be uploading one chapter on Wednesday, and one on Sunday.


	12. Tired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Stevonnie and Amethyst's exertion dragging on towards evening, Pearl is left at home with nothing to do but worry. When Meygareath takes a break, the gem uses the opportunity to distract herself with conversation.  
> Stevonnie's coming back late the day has taken a lot out of them. someone's going to have to explain to Connie's parents where their daughter is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Fear of (fictional) race motivated violence and mention of (nonsexual) lewd activities.

Pearl looked at a nearby clock, Stevonnie and Amethyst had been out for far longer than a trip to Funland warranted in her opinion. She looked down at her cell phone. She again read the text from Steven’s phone, Stevonnie’s last communication.

_Will b back l8r than expected. Checking out arcade._

_Don’t need supper, going to Jill’s Sandwiches w Amethyst l8r. :P_

That had been sent at twelve minutes past three, it was almost six o’clock now. She considered sending a text but she wanted to seem cool and not sound like she was setting strict curfews, she had read such limitations could restrict a child’s social development. Still, she was nervous, she often was when Steven headed out without her. Pearl stuck her head out the door and glanced around the beach, still no sign of them. She turned her head to face Garnet, meditating on potential futures. “Sorry to disturb you again Garnet, but-?”

“They’re fine Pearl, just like the last twenty times you asked. They’ll be back soon.”

“Thank you Garnet.” Pearl went back inside.

Pearl looked around. She and Axia had finished ship maintenance shortly after lunchtime and Pearl had just about completed every household chore she could think of. She couldn’t even make supper! Stevonnie and Amethyst were off getting sandwiches at Jill’s (whoever that was) and Warp Peridot had expressed disinterest in either eating or unfusing to allow Pilot to eat. There was nothing to distract her from her concerns.

Pearl considered her options. She could go to her room, where she could meditate or rearrange her swords; she could go down to Amethyst’s room and at least make a token effort to bring order to that garbage pile while the quartz was out.

Out of the corner of her eye Pearl saw Meygareath finally put her narrow brush down and roll up the large scroll, intricately painted edge to edge and end to end, that she had been working on. Pearl had refrained from speaking to the papersmith once she had politely told her that morning that her work required skill, concentration, and conceptual neutrality, whatever that meant. “Is that you done for today?” The gem politely inquired.

“Not quite.” Meygareath responded. “I have finished painting the general concepts to link this paper to Connie and Stevonnie’s vashaep, but it still needs to be shaped for its purpose and have functionality folded in. But I will be doing that with Woman-Bismuth starting tonight, I suppose I have time for a break until she is done playing with her and Pilot’s new toy.”

“Oh good.” Pearl replied. She took a seat beside the half kelmep. A realization dawned on her. “Would you like some supper?”

“I would hate to impose.”

“Nonsense. Come to the kitchen with me and tell me what you want.”

So the pair got up and Pearl showed Meygareath around the fridge and larder. Not wanting to be a burden, Meygareath had chosen tinned tomato soup and bread, three tins of soup and almost a third of a loaf.

“That is quite a lot.” Pearl commented.

Meygareath realized how odd she looked and blushed. “I had a light lunch?”

Pearl thought back. The woman had eaten at least six sandwiches for lunch. “Well, you just sit down and I’ll heat this up for you.”

“Thank you Woman-Pearl.”

As Meygareath gave her some space, Pearl set out a large saucepan on the hob and started heating the soup. “So Meygareath, how are you settling into Beach City?”

“I am far more comfortable, thank you. The beach has been so calming, I can’t help but think back to my sailing days before the song of vengeance. If only I had a ship.”

“Oh, I believe I have a ship in here somewhere!” Pearl made a quick mental check of her gem’s inventory, projecting a hologram switching between several items before finding the craft. “There we are, the Gem Sloop!”

“That’s a cutter.” Meygareath corrected.

“Pardon?”

“Never mind.” Meygareath gazed out the window. “Perhaps we could go to that forest down the coast from here. I’ve wanted to go since I saw it but the city’s in the way.”

“Can’t you just walk through? It is not that far and there’s not much traffic if you go down the boardwalk.”

“What about the humans?”

“What about them?”

“I do not have your power Woman-Pearl, if the humans caught me alone, they’d… they’d lynch me!”

“Lynch?” Pearl rifled through her internal lexicon, knowing no such word.

“Kill me.”

Pearl took the soup off the heat and poured some into a bowl. She brought it over with a spoon and placed it before Meygareath with a concerned hand on the shoulder. “Whatever makes you think they’d do that?”

“It’s what humans do. Destroy what they don’t understand. I mean, some tribes back in my world got to know us enough to give their trust, but according to Pilot, kelmep don’t exist in this world.”

Meygareath dropped her spoon with a gasp as Pearl suddenly hugged her. “I don’t know much about what the world you came from was like, but humans in this world are different. Pilot goes into town all the time and he has quite a few human friends.”

“I-I see. Then perhaps I will go into town at some point. Will you come with me?”

“If you’d feel safer.”

“Thank you.”

Pearl released her so she could eat her soup. Though she ate politely, not wanting to repulse Pearl, Meygareath consumed her entire bowl in hardly any time at all. “Did you want some more?” Asked Pearl.

“Please.”

Pearl took her bowl and came back with it refilled. She watched as in less than a minute, half the second bowl was gone and the half kelmep showed no sign of slowing. The gem could hold back no longer. “I must say, I haven’t seen anyone other than Amethyst eat like this.”

Meygareath put down her spoon.

“I meant no offence.” Pearl insisted. “It’s just that Pilot doesn’t eat this much, and you are both about the same size.”

Meygareath nodded, picking up her spoon again. “Half kelmep expend more energy than humans or full kelmep due to our double hearts.”

“Double hearts?”

“Yes, one human, one kelmepi. We only really eat this much after strenuous activity though.”

“You’ve been painting all day.”

“Yes, but I was lacing and arranging specific conceptual patterns based on Connie’s conceptual palate and the paper’s texture. The focus and dexterity required costs significant mental energy.”

“You did feel a little warm. You should be careful not to get a fever.”

“My body is used to it, let me show you.” Meygareath drew a small scrap of spare paper from her pocket. She held it in one hand and poked a finger into it. She closed her eyes with concentration. Suddenly, starting from her fingertip, the paper ignited.

“Incredible.” Pearl exclaimed supportively. “You can light it with just your body heat? Why aren’t the bandages on your arms burning?”

“Fireproofing is one of the first things you paint into paper weapons. That and waterproofing.” Meygareath clenched her fist, smothering the flame.

At that moment Bismuth, Garnet, and Amethyst entered. “Look who we found!” Bismuth declared.

Pearl instantly stood. “Amethyst! You’re back!” She beamed. “Where’s Stevonnie?”

“Just behind us P!”

Pearl got past the other gems onto the deck. Stevonnie was still climbing the stairs. They were climbing slowly, eyes barely open, putting a lot of weight on the handrails. Warp Peridot was behind them in case they tripped, and Lapis flitted around them trying to figure out what was wrong. “Stevonnie?” Pearl called.

Noticing the worry in her voice, Stevonnie drew on their dwindling energy to jog the final steps. “Hey Pearl!” They hugged her, mostly to support themselves but the affection expressed was no less genuine. “You weren’t worrying about us, were you?”

“Only a little. Are you feeling alright?”

“Yeah, yeah… I’m just a little tired for some reason.” Arm in arm, the two of them headed inside, followed by Lapis and Warp Peridot.

As they got in, they saw Meygareath had helped herself to and already finished the last of the soup. She was at the sink washing up.

“Are you ready to go?” Bismuth called to her.

Pearl carefully left Stevonnie with Garnet and went to the half kelmep’s side. “You go ahead Meygareath, I’ll take care of this.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

Meygareath grabbed her tools and the scrolls she had painted that day from the table. She hurried to join Bismuth on the warp pad.

“See you later!” Stevonnie waved.

The pair waved back as they were carried off to the forge.

“Well I’ve had a good day, but I think this is enough for me.” Warp Peridot declared. “How about you Hotshot?”

“I want to stay together until Connie has to go home.” Stevonnie told them. “You go ahead though.”

Warp Peridot gently came apart into their constituents. “That was fun.” Pilot stated chipperly as he sat down on the sofa.

Before Peridot could agree, Lapis embraced her. “How was it? Are you hurt? Tired?”

Peridot managed to push out enough space between her face and Lapis’ chest to reply. “I’m fine Lazuli! It was fun! I liked it!”

Lapis let her go with a smile. “Good.”

Stevonnie yawned loudly. “Sorry. I don’t know why I’m so tired. I might go take a quick nap.”

“Alright Stevonnie. Goodnight.” Garnet smiled.

“I’ll be up again in five, ten minutes.” Stevonnie insisted as the headed for Steven’s room. “Connie has to go home at some point. I’ll be up in half an hour.”

Garnet only watched them go with a smile. The moment they were upstairs, Garnet walked across the room, picked up the home phone, and dialed. “Good evening doctor. Everything is fine, I’m just calling to tell you that it would be best if Stevonnie stayed the night. Stevonnie has had quite a busy day, they could barely keep their eyes open. I’m afraid they’re already asleep. I will. See you then. Goodbye doctor.”

“Mind filling us in G-Squad?” Asked Amethyst.

“Connie’s parents will be over in a couple of hours. They will want coffee, decaf.” Garnet explained. “The guest bedroom is still available on Pilot’s ship.”

“Yeah. Meygareath took my old room and my dad won’t be back tonight.”

“Thank you. Everyone, let Stevonnie sleep, they need it.”

Just after half eight, a car pulled up on the beach. Priyanka and Doug had went to their house after their shifts had ended to swiftly pack overnight bags and took the same car to the temple so they could discuss the matter between them.

When Connie’s parents got to the beach house’s door, Garnet was there to greet them. “Stevonnie’s upstairs.” She told them.

Used to Garnet’s directness, Doug and Priyanka quietly went up to check on their half child. Stevonnie lay in Steven’s bed, deep in their slumber. Pearl had come in earlier to carefully put the duvet over the fusion but the pair could see they were still wearing Steven and Connie’s clothes.

“They must have been tired.” Doug quietly noted. “They haven’t even gotten changed.”

“It’s probably for the best.” His wife whispered back, shocked how he had missed the obvious.

“Right.” Doug went to the nearby dresser and placed some clothes from his bag on top. He and Priyanka went downstairs.

Downstairs to meet them was Garnet standing by the dining table, Amethyst and Pilot sitting on the couch, and Pearl carrying a tray with five mugs on it to the coffee table. Peridot and Lapis had gotten bored and wondered off.

“Help yourself.” Said Pearl, setting down the tray.

Pilot took the one mug of tea as he and Amethyst shifted over to make room for the humans. Doug and Priyanka took a mug of coffee each and sat down. Amethyst and Garnet took the remaining two, the former downing her scalding beverage instantly.

“So, you’ve seen Stevonnie?” Stated Pearl, who was honestly still unsure of the purpose of the humans’ visit.

“Yes.” Priyanka replied. “They seemed alright. What on Earth were they doing to get so tired?”

“They went to Funland with me.” Amethyst explained. “Then we went to the arcade, then we ended up going all over the place. That reminds me, Pearl, I owe Steven and Connie ten dollars.”

Pearl sighed and took the money out of her gem.

“Each.”

She retrieved another ten-dollar bill and handed the cash to Amethyst.

“I’ll be right back.” Amethyst got up, grabbed a pen and scrap of paper, and crept upstairs.

“Pilot agreed to let you sleep on his ship outside tonight.” Garnet continued.

“Same bed as last time.” Pilot elaborated. “I’ve put all dad’s stuff aside while he’s away.”

“Thank you, Pilot.” Priyanka nodded.

“Any time.” Suddenly he threw his teabag over her head.

Amethyst caught the projectile in her mouth as she came back downstairs. She clambered over the table to get back to her seat. “Why did you want to stay the night though?” She questioned. “It’s not like Connie hasn’t stayed over by herself before.”

“Yes.” Doug agreed. “But she and Steven weren’t dating then, and they’re sharing a bed. They might be tempted to, you know… overstep.”

Pilot suddenly laughed with realization. “Is that what this is about? Sorry, sorry, I just hadn’t realized this was about Steven and Connie fooling around.”

“Well, it is.” Garnet stated bluntly.

If Pearl had had a heart, it may have stopped then. “T-They wouldn’t, would they? They’re too young, and Steven’s such a good boy!”

“We aren’t saying we think they would.” Priyanka explained. “We just want to be safe since this is the first time something like this has happened.”

“Of course.” Pearl nodded. “I might go check on them again.”

“No need.” Pilot assured. “We would hear them unfuse before they could do anything. It not like Stevonnie can canoodle by themselves. Why are you all looking at me like that? Hang on, mum’s calling me.” Pilot listened to Axia’s brief but long overdue talk. “Ew.” He stated. “Well I can hear them snoring, so I doubt they’re doing that. Shall I show you to your room?”

“Yes please.” Priyanka replied.


	13. Paper and Steel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bismuth has never worked with a non-gem on a crafting project before. While Bismuth's metalwork is undoubtedly the best around, Meygareath's papersmithing can fold in ideas that seem to defy physics. Tonight, the crafters unite to make weapons and tools worthy of their allies, learning a bit about each other on the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Discussion of homophobia.

When Meygarath had been told of the forge she had expected to see a building. Instead, she and Bismuth had appeared before a great volcano. Walking from the warp pad to the bottom of the mountain’s slope, they had encountered a worked stone wall that, by Bismuth’s power, opened to a dark hall.

“I hope it’s not too hot for you!” Bismuth called back as she strode in.

“Half kelmep are quite heat tolerant.” Meygareath replied, following her.

For a second Meygareath lost track of the gem. A clang sounded as the circles in the walls were filled with lava, illuminating the room a fiery red. A stream of magma cascaded freely on the far side of the room, through it stepped Bismuth. “May I offer you a lava bath then?”

“Not that tolerant!” The half kelmep exclaimed. “Where should I set up?”

“Will this table do?” Bismuth took some old tools off the desk and dusted it down.

“Indeed. Thank you.” Meygareath placed her tools and materials on the desk. On the left side was the paper she had spent all day preparing, now transferred to pile of scrolls. On the right side she placed a bone folder, an object resembling a rolling pin, and a small knife seemingly made of red paper.

“You said you needed me to have some spare weapons so you could show me how this papersmithing works. Will these work?” She held an axe and a sword.

“Yes. My thanks again Woman-Bismuth.” Meygareath unrolled some of the paper, cutting off a two-metre length.

“Just Bismuth is fine.” The gem grinned.

The papersmith took the sword from her. She lay the weapon on the paper and began folding the paper around it. “I am making a xatteriir hurrokmosst, a ribbon of memory. I would normally use paper weapons as the catalyst, but I am told your work is the best.”

“You were told right!” Bismuth boasted. “What are you doing to that sword though?”

“Introducing it to the conceptually charged paper.” As she spoke, she folded the paper tighter and tighter to the blade. She continued to smooth the paper with her bone folder and make small cuts to have the paper better bend at corners. Soon it looked less like she had wrapped the sword in paper and more like she had transferred the paper’s colors and textures directly to the weapon’s surface. With her knife, she found an almost invisible seam and started to unwrap the sword.

The sword was gone.

“How did you do that?” Bismuth exclaimed. One side of the now flat paper was its original colors, the other was the steel color of the vanished weapon. The paper was also devoid of all the cuts Meygareath had made.

“The paper has taken on the conceptual identity of the sword.” She picked up the paper and gave it a flick. Instantly the paper folded itself into the exact shape of the sword. She unfolded it again and placed the paper on the table, metallic side up. “Now for the axe.”

She took the axe from Bismuth and again folded the paper around it. Again she unfolded the paper and the weapon was gone. She took the rolling pin and rolled the paper around it, not as tightly as on the weapons but still tight. She picked up her knife and made incisions on the paper, complicated and precise, Bismuth could hardly see the numerous cuts. Meygareath gently slid the paper off the pin and stood it upright on the table, it did not unroll. She gently tapped the paper cylinder with the handle of her knife, it collapsed into a single long ribbon. She rolled the ribbon flat and straight with the rolling pin before nodding with satisfaction.

“Give me your hand Woman-Bismuth.”

Bismuth held out her hand.

Meygareath placed one end of the ribbon in the center of the gem’s palm. She ran her bone folder over the first inch or so of the paper and it stuck. “Only you can remove it now.” She started to wrap it around Bismuth’s palm and wrist. “These colors aren’t attuned to you, but it should work well enough to give you an idea of what it can do.” She finished with the remaining end of the ribbon being placed at the base of the gem’s thumb.

“What do I do?”

Meygareath took a few steps back to give Bismuth some room. “Hold out your hand and relax the ribbon.”

“What do you mean relax the ribbon.”

“It’s a part of you right now, trust me.”

Bismuth tried as Meygarath instructed. Slowly the ribbon loosened and suddenly wrapped around itself forming an axe in her hand. “Whoa! How is this so light? It has two weapons worth of metal in it!”

“Excessive weight is an undesirable concept, so I cut it out. Relax the ribbon again.”

Bismuth did so. The axe started to collapse into ribbon before suddenly wrapping together again, becoming a sword. “How many weapons can a ribbon remember.”

“I can make one that can remember six on a good day.”

“So we can make Connie and Stevonnie six swords!” Bismuth realized. “I’ll make a start!” Bismuth carefully removed ribbon and put the paper sword back on the original sword’s rack. She went to her barrels of metal dust and selected materials. “So that is three swords for Connie and three for Stevonnie.”

“Yes.” Meygareath agreed. “From what I’ve seen, both of them are comfortable fighting one and two handed.”

“Normally I’d make a hand-and-a-half sword, but with this ribbon I suppose I could make small and great swords.”

“Though medium weapons are better for defense.” Meygareath countered. “Especially for Connie, she doesn’t have a shield. We also have to consider what they’ll be fighting.”

“Gems, right?” Bismuth considered. “To fight gems you either want a durable stabbing weapon or a heavy slashing weapon if you have the strength to back it up.”

“But Stevonnie’s going to be the Pilot one day, they could end up fighting almost anything. They’ll want a longer, finer blade for disarming other humans.”

“Humans aren’t that violent!” Bismuth retorted.

“They are in other worlds.”

Bismuth relented. “Alright, I think I have some ideas, do you have any suggestions?”

“I’ll trust to your expertise.”

While Bismuth started work on the first of the swords, Meygareath took some more paper off the roll.

“Will that be enough for Connie’s swords?” Bismuth questioned.

“This isn’t for the ribbon of memory.” Meygareath started folding the paper in on itself. “I’m making her a band of armament, a longinyer rinner, she should be tougher and more resistant to pain while wearing it. As if she were wearing a suit of armor”

“That sounds useful. Why don’t you make one for everybody?”

“It doesn’t just make the wearer tougher I’m afraid, it increases the wearer’s toughness to a predefined level. Steven and most of you gems are too tough already to receive any benefit from it.”

“Oh well. Are you going to make one for Pilot?”

“Just as soon as I’ve finished making this.” Meygareath finished folding the paper and smoothed it over with her bone folder. The finished product was a one and a half inch wide, two and a half foot long strip of painted paper that flexed as easily as cloth. She set it aside and took out a smaller roll of blue and black painted paper. She unrolled the entire roll and used her knife to neatly cut it into two parts of uneven size. She took the smaller half and started making another longinyer rinner.

“You know,” Bismuth mused, “it sure is nice having another craftsman to talk to about this kind of thing. The only other person who I can debate sword design with is Pearl. Don’t get me wrong, she is great!”

“Indeed.” Meygareath agreed quietly so the wistful cadence wouldn’t carry over the gem’s hammering. Meygareath ran her bone folder over her work with a longing gaze out the forge’s entrance, toward the warp pad leading to the beach house and to Pearl. “Woman-Bismuth, may I ask you a question?”

“Sure! What’s on your mind?”

“Pilot has explained the basics of your kind to me, how you came from the stars and rebelled against your society. He didn’t explain the personal side to me though. I mean no offence but, as a race who neither ages nor breeds, do gems feel love? Romantically?”

Bismuth held back the urge to laugh. “Of course we do! You know Garnet? She’s married!”

“Really? I don’t think I’ve met her husband. Who is he?”

Bismuth laughed and shook her head. “She doesn’t have one. Garnet’s a fusion. Her components, Ruby and Sapphire are the ones who are married. I made their rings right here.”

“And they are both women?”

“Yes.”

“Women are allowed to get married to each other?”

“Why wouldn’t they be?” Asked Bismuth.

Meygareath shook her head. “Selokelmvir Ulndae made it an executable offence in his lands, he called it ‘barbarian debauchery’, we had to hide who we loved whenever we passed through his checkpoints.”

“Ulndae as in Pilot’s uncle?” Bismuth asked with a scowl.

Meygareath nodded. “His grandfather.” She corrected.

“Figures someone like him would be an upper crust.” The gem growled. “Excuse me a moment.” She quenched the finished weapon in oil and put it aside, collected the dust for the next weapon, headed for the lavafall, and plunged both her fist and her head into the stream. There was a muffled angry yell. She flicked her head back and returned to the anvil. “Sorry, hearing about that guy gets me so mad.”

“You and me both.”

“He has no power here though, nobody can tell you who to love here.” Suddenly she grinned. “So, is there anyone you have the hots for?”

“I… I think so. I’ve only known you all for just over a week, but I think there’s somebody. How about you?”

“Well, yeah.” Bismuth looked fully down on her work, trying to hide the forlorn look on her face.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve always wanted to tell her, but I don’t know. I think maybe when Steven’s older, when she’s less busy.”

“I see.” Meygareath smiled. While she said nothing to spare Bismuth’s embarrassment, it was obvious to her that the lucky gem was Lapis. The blue gem always seemed to dote on Steven and Peridot, in an odd way it was motherly, a trait Meygareath could easily see Bismuth being infatuated by. An idea crawled from the papersmith’s mind. “I’ll tell mine when you tell yours?” She offered, smirking.

“Sure.” Replied Bismuth. “Just be careful with her, if you’re talking about who I think you are, then you should probably know she’s had bad experiences with relationships in the past.” Despite her words, Bismuth thought Meygareath and Lapis would get along well, similar creative streak and no pressure on Lapis to fuse. She could almost see them now, making meep morps together, perhaps they would go on one of those double dates Bismuth had heard about with herself and Pearl.

Meygareath pulled out a final sheet of paper painted white with various tiny teal shapes printed evenly across it. Both she and Bismuth had a lot of work ahead of them that night.


	14. Training Dreams 3: Stevonnie Battle Plus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now Steven and Connie are sleeping as a fusion, it is time for Stevonnie to meet Archibald, the first Pilot. Since both their components already have a head start on psychic defense, this training will be a cinch for Stevonnie! Right? Right!?

Stevonnie opened their eyes. They were in the central room of Pilot’s ship, except everything was bigger, including Pilot. Their mentor was wearing a familiar pair of cargo shorts and a sleeveless black shirt with his wavy blue line across it. On his feet were a pair of sandals. He turned from the helm and looked down at them with a chuckle. “Kid, why aren’t you dressed?”

Stevonnie looked down at themselves, they were in a nightie, they felt their unbrushed hair. “I wanted to know what we were doing today Pilot.”

Behind them, seemingly from nowhere came Pearl. “I’ll explain while you get dressed.”

“Okay.” Stevonnie nodded and went down to the engine room.

Somehow Pearl had beat them there. On the little bed next to a half finished lego house was their clothes for the day, a floral print dress. “Pilot bought it for you yesterday.” Pearl told them. “Do you like it? We have the receipt.”

Stevonnie took a long look at the dress. “It’s lovely, thank you.” They didn’t like it, for some reason they thought it didn’t suit them. Then again, they would be ugly no matter what they wore.

As they got changed, Pearl explained the day’s itinerary to them. “You and Pilot are going to Impel Down, a prison. Emporio Ivankov, a friend of Pilot’s is being held prisoner there.”

“Are we going to rescue him?” Asked Stevonnie.

“He doesn’t want rescuing. He needs Pilot to take a message from him to Kamabakka Kingdom.”

“So we’re couriers?”

“Yes.”

“Cool!”

Pearl knelt to their height. “I just wanted to warn you, Ivankov and his friends, they’re good people, but they’re a little… strange.”

“Strange like you?” Stevonnie grinned naughtily.

Pearl laughed and poked them playfully in the arm. “You cheeky little girl!” She kept poking, making the fusion giggle. When the play stopped, and the laughter died down the gem explained. “No. Ivankov is melodramatic and overreactive. He also wears women’s clothing.”

“So he’s a pervert?”

“No dearie. Not every man in woman’s clothing is a pervert.”

“Alright.” Stevonnie replied doubtfully. They turned their head toward the closet.

“Perhaps we don’t need the mask today?” Pearl suggested hopefully.

Stevonnie walked to the closet.

Pearl followed them. “Perhaps a pair of glasses, and a sunhat?” She placed the items on them as she spoke. “There we go. Oh, how pretty you are!”

Stevonnie straightened out the accessories before opening the closet door. In the mirror they were greeted with the face of a little grey skinned girl, no older than ten, with black scaring beneath her left eye. Pearl was reflected as a floating polyhedral drone. They pulled the hat’s brim over their face. “I need the mask Axi!”

The hat vanished, the spaceship and Axia were gone. They were wearing the clothes they had fallen asleep in. Before them was a shining sphere of blue mist with black comets whizzing around inside it. They realized they were being guided away from the mind. “Archibald?”

“A pleasure to meet you Stevonnie.”

They turned to see the first Pilot traveling alongside them. “What happened?”

“I suppose you were taking one of those inter-mind wanderings Steven told me about.” He theorized.

“Who’s mind was that?”

“Who do you think?”

“Pilot?”

“Right on the money.”

“Why didn’t he reject me?” Stevonnie asked.

“It’s awfully rude to reject a friend Stevonnie.” Archibald explained. “He was simply mazing you with a compelling memory.”

“I didn’t feel trapped.”

“Yet the only way out was to leave his mind, very subtle.”

“Is he going to remember us entering his mind?”

“You, yes. Me, not so much.”

“I guess I ought to think of an apology.” Stevonnie thought aloud. They caught sight of something in the distance. “That isn’t my mind is it? I was expecting more pink.”

“Indeed, it isn’t, Pilot is currently downstairs and there are a few people between him and you. Any guesses?”

The mist was a maelstrom of purple contained within taut lines of lavender. “Amethyst?”

“Two for two, next one’s a challenge.”

The next mind was largely still silver mist, a grassy green river swirled gently through it. Stevonnie thought for a moment. “Peridot?”

“Afraid not. Maybe seeing who they’re sitting next to will give you a clue.”

Stevonnie recognized the teal mind with white rivulets instantly. “My mom’s here! She’s meant to be at work until seven! I was only taking a nap! How long have I been asleep?”

“Two and a half hours by my guess. It’s eight forty-eight.”

“She must be so mad! I am scr- I’m going to be in so much trouble! Connie’s going to be grounded for a month!”

“I think you’re taking this out of proportion.” Archibald smiled. “From the outside she seems quite calm. I believe she will likely be understanding, you’ve had a long day after all.”

“Yeah. You’re right. Amethyst and the others would have explained everything to her.”

“Come on, we should get back to your mind.”

Stevonnie nodded. “Let’s go.” They lead the way through the void. Although they couldn’t quite understand how, Stevonnie had an infallible gut feeling as to the direction of their mind.

Even though they could tell the direction of their mind Stevonnie was surprised when they saw it. The first sight Stevonnie saw of their mind was a tiny point of light, like a star. Like a teal star. They stopped. “That’s my mind?”

Archibald took a look through his telescope. “So it is! Good eye Stevonnie! Mind ho!” He chuckled. He started in its direction.

Stevonnie hesitated to follow.

He stopped for them. “Is something wrong?”

“N-No. It’s silly. Don’t worry.” Stevonnie started walking again.

“It’s perfectly natural to worry about your mind. What’s so silly?”

“I thought it would be pinker.”

“Well I’m sure there will be some pink parts when we get closer. Wasn’t Connie’s mind mostly that color.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think Connie was the dominant- I mean… Are either of them in charge of me?”

“Do you feel like they are?”

“N-No? Not like I’d do anything they wouldn’t want me to do. I mean, I’m a fusion of them so I guess I have similar wants and needs to them. I guess I might make compromises they wouldn’t think of, does that count as being my own person.”

“I’d say so.” Archibald decided.

Stevonnie was surprised to discover how quickly they had gotten to their mind. It was mostly teal. There was a great pink cyclone, like Jupiter’s red spot, traveling peacefully across its surface. The slivers of silver native to Connie’s mind danced energetically among pink constellations who shifted subtly in arrangement.

“Shall we?” The old man asked.

“Come in.” Stevonnie lead Archibald into their mind.

Archibald looked around the interior. “Where’s this?”

Stevonnie checked their surroundings. “The Big Doughnut.” Though this was only the third night training, Steven and Connie had started mazing any foreign presence in their minds almost on reflex.

“Oh, Pilot mentioned this place a while ago, said Steven was slightly perturbed over its closing.”

“Yeah. Lars is in space and Sadie is touring with The Suspects so there was nobody to run the shop. Mr. Dewey has started working there, so it’s open again.”

“The mayor is working in a doughnut shop?”

“Didn’t Pilot tell you? Nanefua Pizza is mayor now!” Stevonnie explained.

“He didn’t. An odd omission on his part, he certainly talks enough about her granddaughter.”

“So you’ve heard that Pilot’s dating Kiki!?” They asked excitedly.

“No Stevonnie. He-,”

With sappy romanticism so strongly on the brain that Steven’s wedding planner had subconsciously appeared in their hand, the fusion continued. “Jenny told Steven and Connie about it a while ago and they’ve been so happy for the two of them!” They saw the book in their grip and opened it up. “There are these lovely invitations on page two hundred and forty-seven with borders that look almost exactly like the Pilot’s symbol!”

“Stevonnie?”

“And there are these cake designs that make your wedding cake look like a pizza!”

“Stevonnie!”

“And I think these blue hydrangeas would be-!”

Archibald softly clapped the planner shut and lifted Stevonnie’s chin to face him. “Stevonnie.”

“Yes?”

“They aren’t dating.”

The wedding planner vanished in a puff of teal smoke. “But they go out at least once a week.”

“They go running, as friends.”

“Jenny said she walked in on them as they were about to kiss.”

“Kiki wanted more. Pilot put her down gently on Tuesday.”

“But why?”

“He isn’t ready.” Archibald explained.

“But he’s getting better!” Stevonnie exclaimed. “He’s more confidant in his appearance, he has a family!” They weren’t angry, but they were scared their friend was still hurting in some way they’d missed.

“It isn’t about his mental wellbeing. It’s about his biology.”

“What?”

“He is a child and will take just under a century to grow up. He’s matured in terms of self-management and survival, but he is still too young to be infatuated.”

Stevonnie sat upon the counter glumly. “Are they still friends?”

“It’s too soon to say. Kiki didn’t say much after he told her, and he’s worried, but I think it will all work out in the end.”

“It’s a shame. I always thought we’d give each other dating advice and help plan each other’s weddings.”

“Who says you won’t? Pilot has plenty of theoretical knowledge to give dating advice.”

“I’d have to live to be at least a hundred to help plan his wedding though.”

“Indeed.” Archibald smiled knowingly.

“Hey Archibald?”

“Yes Stevonnie?”

“Can you make sure I don’t remember all this when I wake up? I don’t trust Steven not to swamp Pilot with pity and make everything worse.”

“As you wish.” He agreed. “Now, we should really stop gossiping and test your capabilities.” He walked past them and went through the staff door of the establishment. He stepped out of a freezer with a clatter of ice creams on the floor. He held one of the misshapen confections. “What is this, a bear?”

“Lion lickers, they don’t even look like lions.”

“No.” he chuckled. He had a tentative taste. “It doesn’t even taste of anything.” Suddenly, he threw it across the room. The lion licker smashed through the wall like a cinder block through glass. Through the hole the mists of Stevonnie’s mind could be seen. “Still need to work on your maze’s integrity.” He cheerfully noted.

The wall reassembled itself. “How do I do that? You said barriers weren’t effective in my mind.”

“Yes, but convolution is. A hole in the wall is as much a potential exit as a door, do you understand?”

“I think so.”

“Good, lets test it.” He walked up to the healed wall and pressed his hand against it. The wall started to crack. As the section of wall gave way the cash register’s drawer opened and Archibald’s hand popped out. “Impressive.” He withdrew his hand and allowed the wall to put itself back together. “I hope you won’t think ill of me if I punch some more holes in your maze.”

“Go ahead.” They waited for him to smash up the place.

“Let’s move on to rejection.”

“Oh. Okay? I thought you were going to-,”

Archibald planted a foot directly through the floor. “It’s hardly practice if you see it coming.” He grinned. Stevonnie’s undefended mind was visible through the hole in the floor. “Now then, on to rejection.”

Through the shop window, in the void appeared some bergs of psychic force. Knowing what the training entailed, Stevonnie brought up the memory both Steven and Connie used as their rejection. It wasn’t right, when Steven or Connie started a rejection the process almost performed itself, they did not feel the strong love by which the rejection was powered. “I can’t do it.”

The berg did not move. Archibald stopped winding up to smash through the wall with his crowbar and put a hand on their shoulder. “What makes you say that?”

“Steven and Connie have memories of each other. I don’t have any memories like that for me.”

“Do you not love anyone? Nobody loves you?”

“No! I mean Kevin is kinda obsessed with me but he’s a creep!”

“What about your family, and friends, not all love is romantic.”

“I know that I…” Realization dawned on them.

“You’ll have to get through me first!” Garnet’s voice echoed. She had stood up to the diamonds for them. So had Opal.

“And me!” Called Pearl.

“Yeah!” Declared Amethyst.

The Big Doughnut seemed to grow. Behind Stevonnie towered Alexandrite, a symbol of the gems who sided with them, bow drawn. A streak of light split the void, piercing the psychic mass and carrying it out of sight. “I did it.” They uttered in disbelief as Alexandrite faded and the room shrunk to normal size.

“Well done.” Archibald smiled, his crowbar lodged in the wall. Looking around, he spied the crook of his weapon sticking out of a teen magazine laying on the counter.


	15. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stevonnie wakes up in Steven's bed and gets ready for the day. Downstairs Amethyst is describing the previous day's events to the other gems, inspiring curiosity as to how far the fusion's shapeshifting ability can go. It turns out that a couple of Stevonnie's potential forms raise some uncomfortable questions along with a lot of panic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mental Breakdown

Stevens alarm chimed. Stevonnie opened their eyes gently. “Good morning Stevonnie. Good morning Stevonnie.” They yawned. They checked Steven’s alarm. Seven o’clock. “Well, I guess we have some time to play video games or something before Connie goes home.” They smiled contentedly for a moment. Suddenly their smile fell and their eyes widened. They checked the clock again. Seven o’clock AM! They leapt out of bed in a dazed panic. “I’m dead, I’m dead, oh I am so dead! I stayed the night in Steven’s bed, I’m gonna be grounded till I’m in collage! What if they think Connie’s been kidnapped? What if they call the Police?”

Out of the corner of their eye they saw something out of place on Steven’s dresser. They took a deep breath and investigated. On Steven’s dresser was a clean, neatly folded set of Connie’s clothes. “I guess they know I’m here.” They assured themselves. “They didn’t try to wake me up or anything either. That’s a good sign, right?” Stevonnie glanced to one side. Also new on Steven’s dresser was twenty dollars in various bills and a note which read as follows:

_To Stevonnie/Steven and Connie,_

_Here’s the money I owe you._

_P.S. Don’t worry about Connie’s mom and dad, Garnet told them what was up and they’re sleeping in Pilot’s ship to make sure you don’t do gross stuff in Steven’s bed (lol)._

_P.P.S. Don’t do gross stuff in Steven’s bed yet, Pearl still washes his sheets._

Stevonnie crinkled their brow at the gem’s crassness and took out Steven and Connie’s wallets, dividing the cash evenly between them. They riffled through the dresser’s drawers, assembling a change of clothes for Steven, intentionally picking the shirt Connie got him as a birthday present. They put Steven and Connie’s changes of clothes under their arm and headed downstairs.

They were greeted downstairs by Garnet sitting on the couch and Pearl drying a plate. Both had been listening to Amethyst recount the previous day’s adventures from the breakfast bar. The quartz paused her story. “Hey Stevonnie! You sleep well?”

“Yeah. I was just going to have a shower.” They placed their clothes on the bar while the spoke.

“You are going to unfuse first, right?” Pearl asked, still startled by the previous night’s revelation from Doug and Priyanka.

“Of course I am.” Stevonnie started to relax the bond holding themselves together.

“Wait!” Amethyst exclaimed. “We were just talking about your shapeshifting and how you could change color and Pearl was wondering if you could make yourself look like a gem?”

“I was only speculating.” Pearl insisted. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“I think I can only make myself human skin tones, I suppose there’s no harm in trying.”

“Do me! Do me!” Amethyst exclaimed excitedly.

“Okay…” Stevonnie closed their eyes and changed.

The plate Pearl was holding smashed against the floor. Stevonnie opened their eyes. They were still taller than Amethyst, who looked shocked. Pearl looked as if she was witnessing a ghost.

Garnet came up to them and hugged them. “It’s okay Stevonnie, stay calm. You can change back, everything is fine.” The fusion’s shaking breath was not supportive of her claims.

“W-what do I look like?” Stevonnie’s voice didn’t sound right, it was too feminine. They wriggled their arms out of Garnet’s embrace and felt their hair, puffy and round. They brought their shaking hands in front of their face. They were pink, delicate, and gloved. They non-violently but firmly broke from Garnet’s hold. The pretty face reflected in her visor made Stevonnie feel sick. They covered their mouth to hold back a scream and dodged past the gems, locking themselves in the bathroom.

Stevonnie curled up in the foetal position on the bathroom floor screwing their eyes shut. It had to be a nightmare. They pinched themselves. They were awake. “Another form!” They screamed internally. “Any form! Any form but this! As far from this form as possible!”

“Stevonnie please!” Pearl called through the door. “Open the door! Let us help you.”

“Stevonnie I’m sorry!” Amethyst yelled. “I should never have made you turn into a gem, this is all my fault!”

“Stevonnie, you can change back!” Garnet added. “I believe in you.”

Stevonnie felt their form shift.

Were they back to normal? They checked their hands. They were the right shape, but they were dark grey. Stevonnie hauled themselves up to check the bathroom mirror. It was them, Stevonnie, but their skin was dark grey, the same color as Meygareath’s. Their ears were the same shape as Meygareath’s too, humanoid with a little point on the top. Unlike the papersmith however, Stevonnie’s hair and eyes weren’t brown. Their hair was a darker grey than their skin and their eyes shone a glistening silver. Apart from the stone in their stomach, they could pass for a kelmep. “I-I’m alright now.” Stevonnie called out tentatively

Free from Pink Diamond’s reflection staring back at them Stevonnie started singing quietly to calm themselves:

_Haven’t you noticed I’m a star?_

_I’m coming into view as the world is turning._

_Haven’t you noticed I’ve made it this far?_

_Now everyone can see me burning._

Now calm enough to have a handle on themselves, they returned to their natural form and came apart.

Connie grabbed Steven’s shoulders. “Steven! Are you ok?”

“I’m sorry Connie!” The boy started blubbering. “I shouldn’t have made you feel that way! She isn’t your mother!”

Connie grabbed some toilet paper and offered it to her boyfriend. “It’s ok, you didn’t mean to have us turn into her. Besides, I want to be here to support you, that was really scary! I don’t want you to face that alone.”

Steven blew his nose loudly and chucked the paper into the toilet. “Thank you, Connie.”

“Any time.”

Steven flushed the paper and started washing his hands. “I’ll go get your clothes so you can shower. Guests first.”

“Thank you.”

Steven opened the door. Garnet pressed Connie’s clothes into her as the other two gems pulled her boyfriend into a tearful hug.

“You’re ok!” Amethyst wept.

“I was so scared we’d lost you and Connie!” Pearl sobbed.

“I-I’m ok. It was still Stevonnie in there.” He hugged them back. “You knew that, right Garnet?”

Garnet nodded quietly as she joined the group hug.

“Why didn’t you stop them?” Pearl demanded.

“If Stevonnie didn’t discover it here, they would have discovered it while they were alone with no one around to support them. I’m sorry Steven, Connie.”

In among the gems bodies and arms Connie could just about make eye contact with Steven. He gave her a smile and a thumbs up. She closed the bathroom door to shower and get dressed.

When Connie left the bathroom and Steven entered for his ablutions, she hadn’t expected to be greeted almost as affectionately as Steven had by the gems. Pearl had straight up hugged her the moment she had stepped out of the bathroom, telling her that everything was going to be alright.

Amethyst had had the politeness to ask before hugging her and calling her brave.

“This really isn’t necessary.” Connie insisted. “I’m glad I could be there for Steven.”

“You don’t have to pretend.” Garnet stated, tear tracks appearing from under her visor. “I already know.”

Connie’s positive expression vanished. “We became a full gem. We had no organs, we didn’t have a pulse. We weren’t even thinking from our head, it was like we were experiencing the world from Steven’s gem. If we’d had a stomach I think I would have thrown up. Is that what being a gem is like?”

The gems looked at each other. They couldn’t exactly empathize since while they all three of them experienced the world in the manner Connie had described, none of them found it as disturbing as Connie apparently did. “That must have been very alarming for a human.” Pearl replied. “Would you like to have some breakfast?”

It felt as if all the contents of Connie’s stomach had vanished after Stevonnie’s stint as Pink Diamond so despite what she had experienced, she was very hungry. “Yes.”

Immediately the gems set about preparing a breakfast bagel for her, sitting her carefully at the breakfast bar, and over all treating her as if she was made of glass. When Steven came out of the bathroom the gems treated him much the same. The gems seemed to be rushing around, suddenly having a lot to do, so while they were attended to often, Steven and Connie seemed to be left alone as well.

“We should probably go check on my parents.” Connie stated in one such absence. The gem’s apologetic doting was somewhat uncomfortable for her. Her parents were by no means unloving to her, but Connie was used to at least partially looking after herself. She was an only child with two working parents after all, such hand and foot care felt unnatural and frankly patronizing to her.

“Yeah, let’s go.” Steven agreed. While the gems were always affectionate to him, he could almost taste the guilt in the bagel they had toasted for him. The feeling that they should have done something. Garnet was probably regretting taking the gamble with her future vision. Amethyst probably felt responsible with her insistence that Stevonnie shapeshift into a gem. He could only imagine how Pearl felt, seeing her deceased diamond appear suddenly before her. Steven needed to show them that he and Connie were fine, that they weren’t shaken up beyond reasonable function by the scare.

The pair of them were at the door when Pearl saw them. “Where are you two going?”

“I’m taking Connie to her mom and dad!” Steven replied.

“So soon?” Pearl inquired, heading to collect their plates. “Steven, you haven’t even finished your-,” she heard the door close behind the pair, they were gone, “…breakfast.”

On the beach stood Pilot gazing out to see. He turned to greet them before they made their presence known. “Good morning sleepy heads.”

“Morning Pilot!” Connie called. “Have you seen my mom and dad? Amethyst left a note they were staying on your ship.”

“They were. I’m afraid they had to go to work. They said your dad would be available on his phone all morning though.”

“Alright, I guess I’ll take Lion home.”

“Won’t you get lonely by yourself?” Steven questioned.

“It happens sometimes.” Connie shrugged. Seeing her words didn’t allay his concerns she asked him. “Do you want to come over today?”

“Sure!” Steven beamed.

“I should probably call my dad just to make sure.”

“I’ll go check with the gems.” Steven jumped up to his porch.

Connie dialed her father on her mobile. “Hi dad! I’m fine! No, I’m not tired any more. Hey, I was about to head home on Lion and I was wondering if Steven could come over too? I don’t know, all day? He’s just asking them. Hang on, here he comes.” Connie took her mouth away from the receiver as Steven landed beside her. “What did they say?”

“Pearl said it would be ok.” Steven told her.

“They said it’s ok.” Connie relayed into her phone. “Okay, hang on a moment.” Connie took the phone from her ear and tapped her screen. “You’re on speakerphone dad.”

“Thanks kiddo!” Doug called. “Steven, can you hear me?”

“Yes Mr. Maheswaran!” The boy confirmed.

“Good. I just wanted to talk to the two of you about something Pilot told us last night.”

“What did he say?” Connie questioned.

“Your invention, Stevonnie days.” Doug explained. “We heard Stevonnie spent the whole day with Steven’s family. Your mother and I were wondering if Stevonnie wanted to come spend a day with us?”

“Sure!” Steven replied. “What sort of thing were you thinking?”

“I know our lives may not be as exciting as life with the gems,” Doug told him, “but we can still do fun stuff. We could go to the marina, or find a Craft a Critter, or we could have a family game night, it’s actually been a while since we’ve done any of those with Connie. I don’t think we’ve crafted a critter since Rani the Cat!”

Connie was about to politely tell her father to shut up and stop embarrassing her when Steven spoke up. “That sounds awesome!” He exclaimed, his excitement clearly genuine. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to a Craft a Critter and it’s been ages since the gems and I have had a game night! When do you want to arrange it?”

“I’d have to check the family diary.” Doug answered. “Let’s figure it out when I get home. I should probably hang up before my supervisor catches me. Bye Steven, Bye kiddo!”

“Bye Mr. Maheswaran!”

“Bye Dad!”

The phone hung up from Doug’s side.

“We should probably find Lion.” Connie noted.

“Before you go,” Said Pilot, who had been politely waiting, “I just wanted to ask something too.”

“Sure, what’s up?” Asked Connie.

“Speaking of Stevonnie, I think they may have wandered into my mind last night.”

Steven and Connie thought hard. Their dreams fuzzy to the point they could hardly remember any of it. Suddenly the memory from a young Pilot’s perspective flooded back to them. “We did!” She exclaimed.

“I’m so sorry!” Steven replied. “It was an accident! We didn’t mean to invade your privacy!”

“It’s fine.” He smiled. “It’s just you left at kind of a low point, I thought I’d tell you that that day ended pretty good.”

“Really? What happened?” Steven asked.

“It’s kinda personal, I’ll tell you both when you’re older.”

“Okay.” Steven nodded. “Let’s go Connie!”

The pair started to run off to find Lion. Pilot waved them off. “Bye guys.”

“See you later Pilot!” Connie called back.

Pilot stepped onto the ship and activated his inter-universal communication uplink. The speakers started playing the other side’s distinctive ringtone. “Buda buda buda. Buda buda buda. Buda buda buda. Ca-lik!”

A rather level tone spoke down the phone. “You’ve reached the Drag Review show. Wardrobe speaking.”

Pilot recognized the coded speech. “Hey Inazuma! How are you doing?”

“Pilot?” He responded. “Please refrain from using names. The Navy might be listening in.”

“I told you.” Pilot ginned. “That transponder snail is untraceable, they have no idea where you are.”

“But what if they trace you and have you arrested for association?”

“If they can get to me where I am now they deserve to arrest me!” Pilot laughed. “Besides my line is garbled they would have no idea who I am or what I’m saying.”

“What do you want?” Inazuma inquired.

“I wanted to talk to Iva, and you.”

“I will see if they are available.”

The few moments of silence on the phone were shattered by a loud flamboyant cry. “Ye-haw! If it isn’t Little Prince Pilot! It’s been so long! I have been so lonely…” Sobbing came over the line.

“I’m so sorry, I thought you would be busy, I-!”

“I. Was. Joking!” Ivankov declared joyously. “Ye-haw! What can I do for you Princy?”

“Oh. I just had an experience that made me think of you.”

“Are you finally taking my offer?”

“No! But those things you and Inazuma told me all those years ago, you saved me from… you saved my life.”

“I couldn’t keep a young man tied up in a dress.” Inazuma said warmly. Pilot could tell from their voice she had switched genders.

“I wanted you to know, give me a week to prepare and I can bust you all out of Impel Down whenever.”

“No, no!” Ivankov replied. “You can’t pay us back like that. If we escape now our faces would be on a sea of wanted posters. Tell me, do you have friends?”

“Yes. Lots.”

“Do you have fun?” Asked Inazuma.

“Yes.”

“Are you living your best life as a man?” Ivankov inquired.

“Yes.”

“Then you’ve payed us back!” Ivankov announced.

“Its all we wanted!” Inazuma added.

“Inazuma, Ivankov… Thank you.” Pilot’s voice cracked.

“Now now, I have no time for tears!” Ivankov declared. “Tell me about your friends instead!”

“Well, let’s start with Steven and Connie…”


	16. New Homes, New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl needs some time out of the house to process her morning. Meygareath needs to find a place to live with windows and away from the drone of a ship's engine. It looks like its time she found a long term residence. Meygareath, Pilot, and Pearl are going out to meet the neighbors and check out the neighborhood.

As Steven and Connie boarded Lion and disappeared through a portal to Connie’s house Pearl watched through the window, wringing her hands. She turned from the window to attempt the morning’s chores. Her worries plagued her throughout her hours of work, however.

When Stevonnie had changed, when their appearance had become that of Pink Diamond, there had been a moment where Pearl genuinely feared that Stevonnie’s mind had been subsumed, possibly forever, by her diamond. That fear revealed the answer to a dark question Pearl would rather have never faced. Steven would never be an acceptable cost for her beloved Diamond’s return. If given the choice, Pearl would choose Steven every time.

But she still blushed. Despite her conclusion her love of Pink Diamond hadn’t changed a jot. This paradox was the first weight on her mind.

The second came once it was clear Stevonnie was still at the helm of their mind. While it was a relief, Pearl suddenly had to fight her old instincts around Pink, calling Stevonnie by name rather than “My Diamond”, keeping a relatively informal posture, that sort of thing. Stevonnie was understandably terrified, they all were, and the young fusion didn’t need Pearl falling into old habits to worry about on top of it. But when Steven and Connie stepped out of the bathroom, what had she done? She had served them, not just caringly, but slavishly. No wonder the children had fled.

But what was she supposed to do? Stand by and let them wallow in their fear? Impossible. Her duty to care for Steven was obvious, and by permitting Connie to stay the night, her parents had implicitly bestowed responsibility for her wellbeing onto Pearl and her fellow Crystal Gems too. Connie had been the first to be repelled from what Pearl had overheard, perhaps humans have a different way to deal with scary situations. She had to find out, for Steven and Connie’s sake. She checked a wall clock, she had spent the whole morning worrying about this. She needed to get out of the house. She glanced out the window. Meygareath had had about seven hours to catch up on sleep, maybe she wanted to go for that walk in town now.

Pilot and Meygareath were in the ship’s galley having early lunch and late breakfast respectively. The galley was a narrow rectangular room along one long wall was the stove, sink, fridge/freezer, and cupboards, on the other side was a narrow table/worksurface jutting out from the wall with seats that folded into the wall under it.

“Pilot, Pearl is outside requesting to come aboard.” Axia announce through the ship’s comms.

“Let her in mom!” Pilot replied. Pilot took the last bite of his pasta salad and went to the helm to meet the gem.

“Good morning Pilot.”

“Afternoon, only just.”

Pearl took a wristwatch out of her gem and glanced at it. “So it is! Is Meygareath up yet? I know she got back late with Bismuth.”

“She is. She’s just having breakfast.”

As Pilot spoke, his half sister stepped out of the galley. “Hello Pearl.”

“Hello Meygareth. Did you sleep well?”

She shrugged. “I’m still not used to the sound of the engines and the artificial lighting.”

“Perhaps we should go talk to Bismuth about making you a house for you.” Pearl considered. “She’s already building homes for herself, Lapis, and Peridot out where the barn used to be. They should be at the building site now.”

“Should we go now then?” Meygareath asked.

“If you are ready.” Pearl replied. “Do you want to come Pilot?”

“As long as we’re back by late evening.”

“How come?” The gem enquired.

“Amethyst is taking me out tonight!” He gloated.

“I’ll be sure we get back in time.”

So, a few minutes later the three of them were on the warp pad heading to Bismuth’s construction site. When they appeared on the nearest warp pad, they were greeted by a half built house of moderate size. It appeared to be three triangular abodes all merged into a single domed building, the dome currently incomplete. The finished roofs were fitted with solar panels and a small wind turbine was under construction. Beside the building was the pit where the barn once stood, the sides sealed and made into a swimming pool, currently being filled by Lapis and played in by Peridot. Right next to the warp pad was a wooden crane, its builder, Bismuth, in the cockpit. “Oh hey guys!” She stopped the crane and hopped out to meet them.

“Hello Bismuth!” Pearl replied. She turned to Pilot. “Nothing bad has happened.” She noted quietly. “Well done.”

“Wait for it.” Pilot muttered.

There was a snap of rope above them.

“Look out!” Bismuth yelled. Metal girders fell toward the warp pad where Pearl and the kelmep stood.

Three girders stopped falling, caught in the dexterous and deceptively strong hands of Warp Pearl. With stoic grace, the fusion deflected the remaining beams, saving herself and Meygareath from harm. Instead of the breastplate and helmet formed from Pilot’s space suit, Warp Pearl was wearing a long black cloak that swept behind her with a hood that cast her face in shadow, giving her the look of a grim reaper. “Pilot is never stepping on a warp pad again. Unless it’s an emergency or he forgets.” She announced levelly. She casually tossed the three metal beams aside, folded her white third arm under her cloak and lead Meygareath off the platform. At that moment the last girder, suspended by a balance of improbability and friction, slipped and plummeted into the warp pad, smashing it asunder. “Especially not that one.”

“Are you guys alright?” Bismuth exclaimed. “Look at this thing! It’s wrecked!”

“Indeed.” Warp Pearl agreed. “I am sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have been lifting stuff over it.” Bismuth turned and called toward the swimming pool. “Hey Peridot! Could you come here a minute?”

The little green gem ran over. When she caught sight of the ruined warp pad she shrieked. “What happened?!”

“I dropped some building supplies on it.” Bismuth explained. “The crane broke.”

“You can’t blame yourself.” Warp Pearl stated. “Pilot breeds misfortune in instantaneous transportation, your mistake was inevitable."

“Can you fix it?” Meygareath asked the short gem.

Peridot removed the offending girder with her powers and picked through the cracked surface. “If I had my flask robanoids, this would be easy. Unfortunately, they were all smashed to pieces by _someone_.” She gave the fusion a knowing look.

Suddenly Warp Pearl started giggling. It was a high pitched and very childish laugh and coming out of a rake-thin hooded goliath, towering over even Bismuth, it was kind of creepy.

After a few moments to get over the creep factor, Peridot found her words. “H-Hey! What’s so funny?”

She took down her hood. With the shadows gone, one could see the fusion got most of her face from Pearl. The only differences beside a slightly greyer coloration were a pair of steel-colored stripes descending from her four silver eyes to her jawline and Pilot’s scaring around the lower left eye. She also had Pilot’s long pointed ears and her faded peach hair was more unmanaged than Pearl’s. She had a tiny smile that seemed to belie an immense inner warmth. “I’m sorry. I had not expected to be berated for _Pearl’s_ rash decisions today. Can you make flask robanoids?”

“Not without floatainium,” Peridot replied, “and floatainium doesn’t occur naturally on earth. I may be able to synthesise flask robanoid fluid, but without Homeworld’s technology it will take time to make sufficient quantities.”

“How long?”

“Twenty years.”

Bismuth shook her head. “Beach City isn’t too far.” She said hopefully. “You and Lapis can fly there in no time and one of you could give me a lift if I needed to get there quick.”

“Besides,” Warp Pearl added, “If Steven’s plan to save White Diamond works, you might get access to Homeworld technology.”

Peridot nodded, not lifting her head as she tried to find a possible means to salvage the warp pad.

“So,” Bismuth asked, “What brings you here?”

“Me.” Meygareath spoke up. “Pearl mentioned you three were building yourselves a home here and I was wondering if it were possible for me to live here too. I would be willing to help in any way I could of course.”

“Well I have no problem with you here, you can sleep in Lapis’ hammock until I build your room.” Bismuth grinned. She then frowned slightly. “Then again, I’m not the only one who lives here. Are you alright with this Peridot?”

The green gem shrugged. “As long as Lapis is.”

Bismuth nodded and called out. “Hey Lapis! Can you come over a sec?”

Lapis flew over to them, glancing at the shattered warp pad. “What’s up?”

“Meygareath wants to live with us. That ok?”

Lapis stepped up to the half kelmep and looked hard at her. “Do play loud music?”

“No.”

“Do you have any pets?”

“Not currently.”

“Do you get into fights?”

“No.”

Lapis blinked at her. “What do you do for fun then?”

Meygareath was surprised. “Oh! I suppose I quite enjoy my papersmithing, I can play the flute, lyre, and several other instruments, and I make art in my spare time.”

Suddenly Lapis smiled broadly. “Did you hear that Peridot?”

“I sure did!” She replied, turning from her work excitedly. “She makes meep morps too!”

“Meep morps?” Meygareath questioned.

Warp Pearl only gave her an amused shrug as support.

“What sort of morps do you make?” Asked Lapis.

“Um, I paint mostly, sometimes I make clay sculptures or origami.”

“Origami?” Peridot questioned.

“I’ll show you.” Meygareath took out a square of paper and folded it precisely. When she was done, she presented the paper lily to Peridot.

“Wow, thanks!”

“Do me!” Lapis exclaimed.

“Do you want a flower, or something else?”

“Something else!”

Meygareath presented her with a paper crane.

“A bird? I love it! You have to live here. Come in! Lets get you settled in!”

“Now?” Meygareath asked.

“Hang on!” Warp Pearl declared. “Meygareath needs to pick up her belongings from Pilot’s ship and some food so she doesn’t starve. We’ll bring the ship here soon.”

The pair of gems relented. “Do you need a lift?” Lapis offered.

“No thank you, we’ll…” The fusion made a brief uncomfortable face. “We’ll make our own way back.” She compromised.

“Alright, see you guys.”

“Be back soon!” Peridot beamed.

Warp Pearl and Meygareath left the construction site and kept walking until they found a road to Beach City to follow.

“Which way do we go?” Asked Meygareath.

“That way.” The fusion pointed. “It isn’t far. It shouldn’t be too long a-,” She came apart instantly.

“-Walk.” Pearl sighed.

Pilot started hopping along the side of the road, jerking his thumb in the direction of Beach City.

“You can’t be serious.” Pearl chided.

“Now’s as good a time as any to hitchhike!”

“The city is four miles away.” Pearl argued.

“I don’t understand numbers and you know it!” He grinned.

“I also know you know how far we are from Beach City.” She rubbed her temples. “Pilot, by the time you get anyone to pull over, we would have gotten to-,”

A family sized car with a surfboard tied to the top pulled over. The passenger side window rolled down and an old woman with long grey hair poked her head out. “Hello! Where are you headed?”

“Beach City!” Pilot replied triumphantly.

“Same as us.” The woman grinned. “Why don’t you three hop in the back?”

They did so, Pilot in the middle, Pearl to his left, and Meygareath to his right.

The car set off. “So, what brings you three to Beach City?” The driver, a tall, younger woman with a darker skin and a pink mohawk, asked.

“We live there.” Pilot explained.

“Us too! We just moved in.”

“Really?” Pilot exclaimed. “Welcome to the neighborhood! I’m Pilot, an almost permanent visitor. This is Pearl, a long-time resident, and this is my sister Meygareath, she just moved out here in the country.”

“Really? My name’s Brandish and this is Khadijah.”

The older woman turned back and waved. “A pleasure to meet you.”

“How come you were hitchhiking then?” Brandish inquired.

“Our transport broke down when we got to Meygareath’s new home so we need to get back to Beach City to get my transport so we can bring all of her stuff over.”

“Well, I hope you have better luck with the rest of your move dear.” Said Khadijah.

“Thank you.” Meygareath replied.

While the others made small talk, Pearl subtly checked her phone for messages. Pilot caught her frown. “Is something wrong Pearl?”

“Steven hasn’t texted me since this morning to tell me he got to Connie’s house safely.”

“You don’t trust them?”

“Of course I do, I just worry sometimes.”

“Is Steven your son?” Khadijah asked.

“I’m his guardian.” Pearl told her.

“How old is he?”

“Fourteen.”

“Same age as my granddaughter.” The woman smiled. “They certainly get up to a lot at that age, don’t they?”

“Yes.” Pearl didn’t notice she was smiling. “If I had a penny…”

“Don’t I know it!” Khadijah chuckled.

Brandish started laughing. “Oh no! Don’t get Khadijah started! We’ll be here all day!”

“I think it’s too late for that!” Pilot riposted. “Pearl could talk about Steven for weeks!”

As Brandish and Pilot expected, Pearl and Khadijah started happily chatting about the children in their lives for much of the journey’s remainder. Pilot was pleasantly surprised to find he didn’t need to elbow Pearl to have her dial back on the kidnapping and alien invasions nearly as much as he thought he would have to. By the time they approached the boardwalk and Brandish parked the car, Pearl and Khadijah were chatting like old friends. The three hitchhikers got out and gave their thanks. The two kelmep headed down the beach to Pilot’s ship.

Pearl was about to follow them, but Khadijah’s voice stopped her. “Pearl.”

“Yes?”

“Me, Brandish, and a few others recently started a book club at the Buddwick Public Library, and we are looking for new members. I don’t know if you’re too busy, but would you like to join?”

Pearl considered her options. If she was honest with herself, most of the chores that filled her day were busy work, Steven cleaned up after himself nowadays. With everyone so busy she was spending more and more days alone, she needed to get out of the house more often. Also, she liked reading, reading was quiet, reading was tidy and organised. “I could always check it out.”

“Wonderful.” Khadijah replied. She gave Pearl a slip of paper. “Here’s my number, text me and I’ll send you the details closer to the time.”

“See you then!” The gem answered.

As the car drove away Pearl took out her phone and saved the number, the number of the first human friend she’d made by herself.


	17. Lights Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lights Up is the hottest new club in Surf City and Amethyst a plus one ticket and a kelmepi friend who needs to lossen up. The pair have a whole night ahead of them in an unfamiliar city and anything could happen, but after all, what is a party if not unpredictable?

In the early evening a portal opened on the beach. Out hopped Lion with Steven on his back. At about the same time Pilot’s spaceship landed nearby. The back door opened, and Pilot stepped out. “Hello Multiverse! How was your day at Connie’s?”

“It was good.” Steven smiled as he dismounted his pet. “We watched a movie, Dogcopter 4. I won’t spoil it for you.”

“Thanks.”

“So where have you been?” The boy asked.

“Oh right! Meygareath moved out of the ship today!”

“What!?”

“Apparently she can’t sleep properly with the engines and lack of windows.”

“Where is she now?”

“She’s living with Bismuth, Lapis, and Peridot. I just came back from helping her move in.” Pilot explained. “I also bought her a phone, probably best to have a line of communication to that little compound they are making over there. According to Peridot, it’s going to be like a little slice of Homeworld when they finish, oppression hopefully not included.”

“Little Homeworld…” Steven considered.

“Anyway, how do I look?”

Steven looked the kelmep up and down. They were wearing much the same clothes as they had since returning from the Temple of Koras, he now wore the sunglasses usually hanging from his shirt. “You look good. Why do you ask?”

“Amethyst and I are going out tonight!”

At that moment, Amethyst burst out of the house. “Fly Boy! You’re back!” She half tumbled down the stairs as she ran over to them.

“Sup Purp Girl!” Pilot called.

The gem noticed Steven as she got closer and her excitement dithered. “How you feeling Ste-man?”

“I’m feeling good.”

“Good!” Amethyst smiled. She looked back to Pilot. “We ready to go?”

“Not until Greg comes to pick us up.” Pilot told her. “He won’t be long.”

“Can’t we just take your ship?” She sighed.

“Surf City isn’t used to alien activity like Beach City. If a spaceship lands in the middle of the beach and a pair of non-humans climb out they’ll think it’s an alien invasion and close the club.”

“I guess.” Amethyst begrudgingly agreed.

“Wait, you’re going to the club in Surf City?” Steven verified.

“Yep!” Amethyst confirmed. “Lights Up!”

“Pilot’s your plus one?”

“She invited me last night.” Pilot explained.

“I’ve been looking stuff up about it all day!” Amethyst told them excitedly. “This place has everything! Laser light’s! Newest music! A bar!”

“A bar?” Pilot questioned, his interest aroused. “What they serving?”

“Lots of stuff. Sodas, Sugar Shock Shutdown, punch. I think they even have that Guacola stuff. Ick!”

“Oh.” Pilot replied, slightly disappointed. “Soft drinks, of course.”

“Soft drinks? I think they have ice if that’s what you want.”

Steven faintly recalled the term being used before. “You weren’t thinking of alcohol were you Pilot?”

“No.” He lied. “Why would I? Alcohol wasn’t invented in your universe.”

“Wait, like cleaning products?” Amethyst inquired.

“No.” Steven replied. “Mighty Spark told me about it once. Humans in a lot of universes have drinks with a small amount of alcohol in them. It stops the drink from going bad but it also means that people who drink too much start acting strangely.”

“That’s about right.” Pilot agreed.

“He also said Pilot won’t be old enough to drink alcohol for another four years.”

“Well there isn’t any alcohol in this entire universe, so I don’t know why you’re worrying.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Steven admitted. “But Pilot, you weren’t thinking about it, were you?”

“No.” He lied again.

“Alright.” Steven nodded.

From around the cliff came Greg’s van. The vehicle parked and the man himself hopped out.

Steven waved excitedly to his father. “Hi Dad!”

“Hey Stu-ball!” Greg grinned, getting a hug from his son. He looked over to the others. “Are you two ready to go?”

“Sure!” Amethyst declared.

Steven and the other three exchanged their goodbyes before the boy went inside to prepare for bed. Greg got into the driver’s seat of his van, Pilot got in the passenger’s seat, and Amethyst hopped in the back. All buckled up, Greg reversed the van off the beach.

Once on the road, Greg decided to confirm the plans made earlier. “Are you sure you don’t need me to pick you up?”

“It’s cool.” Amethyst assured him. “You don’t need to wait up for us. We might stay ‘til midnight. Pilot has a phone in his clothes, he can order us a Woober.”

“Woober?” Pilot suddenly questioned.

“You don’t have Woober?” Amethyst responded. “It’s an app that lets you call people to drive you places.”

“And it’s called Woober?” He asked with good-humoured exasperation.

“Yes?” the gem replied. For some reason Pilot seemed to get this way with some big brand names. When Amethyst had introduced him to boogle Pilot had spent the rest of the day in hysterics, he still snorted whenever someone mentioned the search engine.

“Downloading it now.” Pilot announced.

“Well, good thing we dealt with that.” Said Greg as they passed Beach City’s city limit. “By the way Pilot, what’s with the shades?”

“They scan my environment and act as a screen for my phone.”

“Your clothes phone.” Amethyst snickered.

“Yes, my clothes phone.” 

“That’s pretty neat,” Greg nodded, “but won’t it be hard to see with them on? I’ve been to a few clubs and discos in my time, it can be dark in there.”

“I’ll be alright. Besides, they draw attention away from this.” He gestured first to his scared left eye, then to his face in general. He laughed.

Amethyst annoyedly scoffed. “This again? Pilot, nobody’s going to give your face a second look unless they think you’re hot.”

Pilot’s self-deprecating laugh renewed. “Like that’s gonna happen!”

“Hey!” She retorted. “Don’t say that! I know you aren’t looking for anything like that right now, but you’re cute and you need to stop beating yourself up about your appearance.” She playfully made a grab for his sunglasses.

He leant away. “I’m not! Look, I’m not wearing an opaque space helmet and that’s an improvement! Alright?”

“Okay.”

After about an hour of driving, they reached Surf City. Like Beach City, Surf City was on the coast with a beach of its own. Surf City was larger than Beach City, though still small for a city. It was also far more urbanised, with buildings getting taller as one got away from the beach.

The club, Lights Up, was only a little way from the beach. The building was mostly black, making the streaks and spots of bright colours seem even brighter. There was a line at the door with bouncers.

Greg stopped the van nearby and let his passenger’s out. “Have fun guys! Stay together!”

“We will!” Amethyst promised.

“Thanks Greg!” Pilot called.

Amethyst and Pilot got in line. The line moved fast and soon the pair were at the front of the queue with the bouncer in front of them. “Tickets and ID.” He ordered.

“Sure!” Amethyst took out the ticket she had won at Funland. “Here’s my ticket, and here’s my plus one!” She put an arm around Pilot.

The bouncer looked over the ticket and nodded. “Alright. And your IDs?”

Amethyst’s face fell. “Are you kidding?” She pulled down her shirt to reveal her gem. “I’m a gem! I’ve been around for hundreds of-!”

“Calm down Amethyst. He’s just doing his job.” Pilot looked up at the bouncer. “Terribly sorry for that. Here’s her driver’s licence.” Pilot handed him his little white card.

He took the card. “Why do you have her ID?” The bouncer asked.

“Her outfit doesn’t have pockets.”

The bouncer shrugged and looked over the ID. He was surprised by quite how old it stated the short purple woman to be, but he didn’t know enough about gems to argue. He handed the card back to Pilot. “This seems fine. And yours, sir?”

Pilot took back his little white card, put it in his pocket, took it out again, and gave it back to the bouncer. “Here it is.”

The bouncer looked over what seemed to him to be a new pilot’s licence. “You’re a pilot named Pilot?”

“Yes, nominative determinism at its finest.” He chuckled.

The bouncer humourlessly handed the card back. “In you go.”

The inside of the club was much as Amethyst had described. The room was largely dominated by a dance floor with a number of people already dancing in the multicolour laser lights. On one side of the room was a DJ and a bar, the rest of the wall space was mostly dominated by tables and booths.

Amethyst playfully bopped Pilot on the shoulder. “Let’s do what we came here for fly boy!”

Pilot grinned down at her. “Let’s P-A-R-T!”

“Y?” Amethyst finished.

“Because I gotta!” He joked.

They laughed as they made their way onto the dancefloor. For about an hour they danced, bought drinks, and socialised with other club patrons. Pilot mostly let Amethyst take the lead in conversations they had with strangers; he was shy without a mission to achieve.

Suddenly as his hearing adjusted around the booming music, Pilot realised he had lost Amethyst. He looked around, no need to panic, he was sure she couldn’t have been drugged. They were both adults, they could look after themselves for a while, Amethyst wouldn’t leave without him.

As Pilot leant on the bar and tried to casually look around for his friend, he recognised someone else he knew. Kevin, dressed up sharply and helping himself to the seat beside the kelmep. The human looked Pilot up and down. “Fancy seeing you here Pilot.”

“Hi Kevin.”

“I wanted to thank you for saving me, from Roxillan.”

Pilot was surprised. “Oh. No problem man. All in a day’s work.”

“Can I get you a drink?”

“Sure.”

Kevin snapped his fingers at one of the bar staff, and put some money on the bar. “Two Sugar Shock Shutdowns!”

A barman eventually took his money, clocking Pilot’s apologetic look, and brought the drinks.

Pilot silently took sips from his drink.

Kevin rested cockily on the bar. “Are those new threads?”

“Yes.” Pilot replied curtly. He had already decided he didn’t care what somebody like Kevin had to say about his appearance.

“They look nice, it’s nice getting to see more of you.” He purred suggestively.

Pilot choked on his drink.

Kevin laughed. “Careful! But seriously, we should ditch this place, go back to mine. I’ll drive, have you seen my sport’s car?”

Pilot stepped back. “I didn’t realise you were into dudes.” He hadn’t given much thought to Kevin’s sexuality at all.

“Don’t worry about it.” Kevin crooned. “I know what’s under this.” He gestured to Pilot’s clothes. “Your sister told me.”

“Roxillan is wrong about a lot of things.”

“She is. You’re much cuter than she said you were, even with that scar. So, how about it,” he nodded towards the club’s exit, “let’s go baby!”

It took everything Pilot had to not lose his temper and punch Kevin in his smug face right there. “I’m here with my friend, I can’t leave them.” Pilot scanned the dancefloor. To his relief he found Amethyst’s gaze.

Amethyst immediately registered the cry for help on her friend’s face.

Kevin tutted. “Ditch you friends babe, come party with me, I’ve got-!”

Amethyst interrupted them “There you are Pilot! You’ll never guess who I found!” She dragged him away.

“We were talking here!” Kevin complained.

“Man ah labakir servir Kevin!” Pilot called cheerily behind him.

“What did you say to him?” Amethyst asked once they were far enough for the music and crowds to drown her words.

“Well,” Pilot explained, “in Conceptual, man means go, ah labakir is to have sex, and servir is the masculine form of you.”

Amethyst chuckled. “What did he want?”

“Me, in little to no clothing, in his bed. I was running out of other things to say to him.”

“What about ‘I already have a girlfriend’?” Amethyst suggested.

“Amethyst, I don’t have a-,”

Amethyst brought Pilot out the other side of the crowd. “Here we are!”

Pilot’s brow rose with pleasant surprise. “Buck! Sadie! Sour Cream!” He gave each a fist bump in turn.

“Hi Pilot.” Sadie smiled.

“What brings you guys out here?” He asked.

“This club’s playing some of our music.” She replied. “This is the first time something like this has happened for Sadie Killer and the Suspects, so we thought we’d check it out.”

“Gotta respect a fellow industry professional’s work.” Sour Cream gestured towards the DJ.

“I’m amazed you didn’t get the red-carpet treatment then.” Pilot commented.

“We’re keeping a low profile.” Buck explained.

At that moment a young woman almost skipped out of the crowd towards them. She had darkish skin, an athletic build, and very frizzy dark hair just about contained in a pair of buns. “Are you Sadie Killer and the Suspects?”

“So much for keeping a low profile.” Amethyst snickered.

“Yes, can we help you?” Sadie asked politely.

“I don’t want to bother you but I’m a huge fan, could you sign my CD cover?” She took out the case containing the band’s first album and a pen.

Sadie looked to her bandmates, receiving nods from both. She took the case. “Who should I make this out to?”

“Dora Double Junior. DDJ for short.” She glanced over her shoulder and winked at ~~YOU~~ no one in particular.

As the three of them signed the case, Pilot broke his silent staring. “Excuse me.”

The woman looked over. “Yes?”

“Have we met?”

‘DDJ’ appeared to strain her mind. “Are you the boy in that spacesuit from Beach City?”

“Yes, I’d only seen you that one time. Do you live in Beach City?”

“No, I was visiting family.” She took her CD and pen back from Buck. “Thank you.” She turned and left them, vanishing into the crowd’s dancefloor.

As Pilot stared after her, Amethyst obliviously continued her conversation with the band. “So, where’s Jenny? It’s not like her to miss something like this.”

“She’s over there,” Buck pointed to a distant booth, “with her sister.”

“Kiki’s here!” Pilot and Amethyst exclaimed simultaneously. She was thrilled, he was worried.

“You should go say hi!” The gem insisted, playfully shoving him. “You haven’t seen her all week!”

“Amethyst, I don’t think this is a good-!”

But before he could complain farther, the gem had kelmhandled him across the room to see them. Jenny was in a snazzy knee length dress. Kiki was in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt printed by Buck. Jenny’s face lit up when she saw Pilot approach. “Oh, hey Pilot! What are you doing here? Sit! Sit!” She gestured to a space next to her twin.

Kiki didn’t seem hostile or upset, but she did seem just as worried as Pilot, not that their sister or alien friend noticed.

Amethyst slotted Pilot next to Kiki before running around the table to sit beside Jenny.

When her sister didn’t take the initiative, Jenny spoke. “So Pilot, you’ve barely been around all week!”

“Yeah, I was busy. It’s nice to see you again Kiki. You too Jenny, of course.”

Jenny laughed. “You don’t need to excuse giving my favourite twin preferential treatment! You are her boyfriend after all!”

Pilot’s face became dour, he turned to Kiki. “You didn’t…”

“It never came up. Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. I guess I never told my friends either.”

“Told us what?” Asked Amethyst, concerned.

“Pilot and I aren’t dating.”

“What?” Amethyst exclaimed. “Dude! Why didn’t you tell me before I brought you here!” She hissed to Pilot.

“I tried.”

“What happened?” Asked Jenny.

“Nothing ‘happened’,” her sister replied, “we just aren’t ready for that sort of relationship.”

Pilot quietly got up.

Kiki followed him.

“How are you Kiki?” He asked.

“I’m alright.” Both knew from running together that they both spoke better while on the move. “I’ve missed you.”

Amethyst and Jenny both got up to follow the pair as they wandered away when, out of nowhere, ‘DDJ’ appeared. “I’m reeeally sorry to disturb you, but are you Jenny Pizza from Sadie Killer and the Suspects?”

Pilot and Kiki kept walking. “Really?” Pilot asked. “Part of me thought you’d never want to see me again.”

“Of course not! It’s not your fault, it’s how you are.” Kiki realised they were on the dancefloor. “Are we dancing?”

“Nothing wrong with two friends dancing is there?”

“No.”

Pilot smiled. “So, we’re still on for running?”

Kiki smiled back and nodded. “Same time as usual next week?”

“So long as I don’t die on Homeworld this weekend.”

Kiki froze. “Seriously?”

“Yeah.” He smiled, he held her hand, trying to move the motion of his dance into her. “Steven, Connie, my dad, the gems, and I are all going to fly to Homeworld and try to save it.”

“Will it be dangerous?”

“The plan is a simple in and out job, but things could always go wrong.”

“Do you think you might die?” She snatched the sunglasses off his face to search his eyes for deceit.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t let Amethyst hear me say this but gems are not that hard to fight. The only tactics gems really employ is to throw their full force at something, the slightest amount of mind games throws them through a loop. I was just kidding when I said I could die.”

“Well don’t!” She put his glasses in his hands. “Lots of people here on Earth will be waiting for you to come home. Come home, promise me.”

He held her face briefly. “I’ll come home, we all will.” He hung his glasses from his shirt.

She noticed his ears twitch. “What is it?”

“That girl, getting an autograph from your sister, she’s humming a song. I know that song, can’t you hear her?”

No matter how Kiki strained her ears she couldn’t make out a single hummed tune in the din of the club. “I guess you hearing is better than mine.”

“I’ll sing it for you;”

_I feel so unsure_

_As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor_

_As the music dies, something in your eyes_

_Calls to mind the silver screen_

_And all its sad good-byes_

_I'm never gonna dance again_

_Guilty feet have got no rhythm_

_Though it's easy to pretend_

_I know you're not a fool_

_Should've known better than to cheat a friend_

_And waste the chance that I'd been given_

_So I'm never gonna dance again_

_The way I danced with you_

_Time can never mend_

_The careless whispers of a good friend_

_To the heart and mind_

_Ignorance is kind_

_There's no comfort in the truth_

_Pain is all you'll find_

_I'm never gonna dance again_

_Guilty feet have got no rhythm_

_Though it's easy to pretend_

_I know you're not a fool_

_I should've known better than to cheat a friend_

_And waste the chance that I'd been given_

_So I'm never gonna dance again_

_The way I danced with you_

_Never without your love_

_Tonight the music seems so loud_

_I wish that we could lose this crowd_

_Maybe it's better this way_

_We'd hurt each other with the things we'd want to say_

_We could have been so good together_

_We could have lived this dance forever_

_But no one's gonna dance with me_

_Please stay_

_And I'm never gonna dance again_

_Guilty feet have got no rhythm_

_Though it's easy to pretend_

_I know you're not a fool_

_Should've known better than to cheat a friend_

_And waste the chance that I'd been given_

_So I'm never gonna dance again_

_The way I danced with you_

_Now that you're gone_

_(Now that you're gone) What I did's so wrong, so wrong_

_That you had to leave me alone_


	18. One Big Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amethyst and Pilot are getting their party on and starting to enjoy themselves, even with Kevin still skulking about. The vibe of the club is ground to a halt for the pair when Amethyst's insight reveals some depressing facts about Pilot and Kiki's friendship. But fear not, where one party ends another can begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: underage drinking

When the stranger had approached Jenny, she and Amethyst had lost sight of Pilot and Kiki. When Jenny had given her autograph and the woman had left them alone it didn’t take them long to spot the pair dancing together. “That’s a good sign, right?” Jenny theorised.

Amethyst shrugged. “It doesn’t look like either are crying or anything. Do you want to find the others?”

“Sure.”

They left Kiki and Pilot to their dance and reunited with Jenny’s bandmates. They found an empty booth and chatted about upcoming performances and practice for a while. Suddenly, out of the crowd came Kiki, alone. “Room for one more?”

“Sure.” Jenny shuffled in a little closer to make room for her sister. “Are you alright?”

Kiki sat down. “Yeah.” She smiled.

“Where’s Pilot?” Asked Amethyst.

“I think he went up to the bar.”

“Is he getting you a drink?” Jenny enquired.

“I didn’t ask him to.”

Concerned, Amethyst got up. “I’ll go check on him.”

After making her way through the crowds, it didn’t take Amethyst long to find the kelmep.

He was leant on the far corner of the bar. On the bar in front of him was a barely touched glass of punch, he glanced occasionally at it as he turned his shades thoughtfully in his hands. Amethyst hopped up on an unoccupied stool next to him.

Pilot noticed the gem and gave a small grin. “Buy me a drink sailor?”

Amethyst chuckled. “In your dreams.” She joked. “Did you patch things up with Kiki?”

Pilot put on his sunglasses. He introduced a dash of a dark red liquid to the punch from a bottle he retrieved from his jacket pocket and took a long sip of his drink before answering. “There wasn’t anything that needed patching up. I’m not ready for that sort of relationship and Kiki understands. We’re friends.”

“What was that stuff?” Asked Amethyst.

“Crème de cassis. Makes stuff taste of blackcurrant.” He explained, slipping the bottle back into his pocket. “A friend gave it to me.”

“It isn’t alcohol is it?”

“No.” He lied.

“Alright.” Amethyst nodded. “So, you’ve decided dating isn’t for you right now, I get it.”

“It’s not a decision, it’s basic kelmep biology.” Pilot explained. “We don’t get the right mental structure to seek a mate until we’re fully adults.” He lowered his voice so the staff wouldn’t hear him. “I’m basically a toddler by kelmepi standards.”

“A very mature toddler.” Amethyst pointed out.

“Not romantically.” Pilot shook his head, slapped the bar, and downed most of his drink. “I’m not here to dwell on what bums me out! Let’s dance Purp girl!”

“Okay fly boy.”

The pair found a spot on the dance floor just as one of Sadie Killer and the Suspects’ songs came on. The pair danced separately but looked to each other on occasion, the kelmep out of self-consciousness, the gem as she wanted to see if her friend was really ok.

Pilot was enjoying himself when he glimpsed Kevin again. The self-important jerk had spotted Pilot dancing without a partner and was taking it upon himself to resolve the ‘issue’.

Pilot quickly closed in on the nearby gem. “Amethyst! Dance with me!”

“Sure.” She replied. “Why so urgent?”

Pilot subtly turned her in their dance. Amethyst saw Kevin and understood immediately.

Kevin skulked off back to his booth. “You giving up?” Asked Derick.

Kevin slammed ten bucks on the table.

He had told the story of the crazy grey skinned woman many times to his social circle. Roxillan had come to this world to try and take it over. When she had encountered him however, his attractive physique and natural charisma infatuated her immediately. She had virtually thrown herself upon him, offering to make him emperor at her side. Virtuous soul that he is, Kevin had instead cleverly fooled her by pretending to follow along while leading her into a trap to have her captured by her younger sister. He had ended his wildly distorted story by saying that Roxilan’s younger sister had offered him “anything” as thanks, but he had turned her down since finally capturing her sister had made her overemotional. Clearly, he would conclude, he was irresistible to kelmep women.

Few of Kevin’s acquaintances believed his story, many believed he had made up the kelmep entirely. When Kevin had spotted Pilot in the club, he had pointed him out to Derick, one of the major disbelievers of his story, citing the kelmep as evidence of his story’s truth. While Derick had accepted that kelmep were indeed real, he still doubted the accuracy of Kevin’s telling of events. He found it unlikely that two kelmep would obsess over a human they’d just met to the point of making major alterations to their plans. Seeing Kevin starting to boil over, Derick bet him ten dollars that he couldn’t get Pilot to kiss him. Derick also said that he would also believe Kevin’s story if Kevin won.

Incensed that Derick wouldn’t just accept his mostly fabricated story, Kevin raised the stakes. He claimed that he could get Pilot to go home with him easy. After all, Pilot still owed him for leading Roxillan into that trap. Kevin had been spinning the story so frequently that he had started to believe his own exaggerations and outright lies.

Kevin glared at his lost prize, dancing with the short purple gem. He picked up his money before Derick could claim it. “Actually, it’s all her fault.”

“What are you talking about?” Derick asked.

“Look at her. She saw me and started dancing with somebody else. She wants me to be jealous. I told you she’s obsessed with me!”

Derick quite frankly didn’t care; he wanted to get his ten dollars and leave so he could go hang out with his actual friends. “Are you sure they’re even a girl? They’re wearing guy’s clothing.”

“She’s a tomboy. She just needs an assertive man, watch this.” Kevin got up and strutted confidently across the dancefloor. He sliced through friendship groups and conversations until he was right behind Pilot. “Hey baby. Get ready, it’s Kevin ti-!”

A flash of light threw Kevin onto his rear. He looked up along with most of the club’s guests as the light and fibrous white veins merged into one towering figure.

The new being stood well over ten feet tall. He had Amethyst’s broad build and a faded lilac tint to his skin. The fusion wore a short toga and shorts, the only hint of Pilot’s clothes was a black headband with a wavy blue line across it. He had two arms, but they divided at the elbows, he had an extra pair of forearms and hands. Amethyst’s round face and Pilot’s angular features apparently created a squarish jaw. His hair was long but it was tied back tightly into a ponytail that split into two narrow whip-like strands. Small catlike whiskers grew out of the tips of his pointed kelmepi ears. The pupils of the fusion’s purple eyes seemed to contain permanent stars of excitement.

Most of the club’s patrons were not accustomed to gem activity, they thus stood in stunned silence, unsure if they should panic. Sadie and her band wove through the frozen crowds towards the fusion just as Kevin scrambled away. “You two can fuse?” Sadie exclaimed.

The fusion looked down at his hands, he chuckled. “It seems so! This is so cool!” Suddenly, without so much as a glow, he was about four feet taller.

The humans took a step back as his width had increased proportionately. “Ok dude, calm down.” Jenny said supportively.

“But it’s all new, and so amazing!” He gained another two feet.

“Yes, but every time you get exited you get bigger.”

“Save some dancefloor for the rest of us man!” Added Sour Cream humorously.

The fusion realised they were right. He took a deep breath to calm themselves, shrinking down to about ten feet. He came back into focus and froze.

Out from the crowd stepped Kiki. “Are you alright?”

“Y-Yeah…” He stammered, peering down curiously.

“What’s your name?”

“W-Warp Amethyst. No need to deviate from the theme.” Seeing the reference was lost on all present, Warp Amethyst subtly looked Kiki up and down before breaking into a new exited grin. The stars in his eyes were replaced by hearts. “Is that outfit new?” He grew about half a foot.

“Um, no. These are my party clothes, I don’t wear them often.”

“They’re nice… Kiki, when did you get so… oh.” With a blush Warp Amethyst grew four feet, gasped slightly, and shrunk down to his smaller component’s size. The hearts in his eyes were replaced with glowing raindrops. He glanced toward the exit. “I should probably go while I still fit through the exit.” He bolted out of the establishment, Kiki on his heels. 

As Warp Amethyst was the faster of the two, Kiki lost him for a moment. She looked around and in the shadows between two street lights several yards away she saw a small figure sat on the curb. She walked up to him waving so as to not surprise him. “Warp Amethyst? May I?” She gestured to the curb beside him.

He lowered his upper hands from his face, steeled himself and nodded. “Go ahead.”

Kiki sat beside the fusion. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“You were crying.”

“No I wasn’t.” he held her wrist and put it to his face. “See? Dry.”

“You were about to cry.” Kiki saw him about to argue again and stopped him with a look. “I’ve seen Pilot cry before, he always tries to hide it, he says he thinks it makes him less manly. I tell him that’s a load of baloney, and I sh-,”

“You should know,” the fusion finished, “you work at a pizza place. I remember.”

“So what’s wrong?”

“You and Pilot would have been great together.”

“Is Amethyst upset it didn’t work?”

“She understands. But I have both her maturity and Pilot’s perspective on you, and I’m in love.”

Kiki put her arms around him. They sat quietly for a few moments as their hearts sank. “It can’t work can it?”

“No.” He agreed. “Amethyst and Pilot have lives outside of each other and Pilot can’t ask Amethyst to give up her life so I can spend it with you.”

“I know. How about we date just now?” She asked.

Warp Amethyst wriggled out of her hug. “Kiki, there is someone out there for you. You can’t throw that life away for a fusion who won’t be there for you.”

“That isn’t what I said.” Kiki replied. “Just right now. Just a moment where we can imagine what could have been.”

“A-Alright…” He drifted back into her arms.

Their lips touched only for a moment when Warp Amethyst’s were pulled upwards and away. Kiki’s hands separated as the fusion’s body expanded. Kiki stared up as the fusion, previously at his smallest state, was now standing in surprise, taller than Kiki had ever witnessed them, over 25 feet tall. The rain in his eyes had become stars once again.

Out of the club came Jenny and the rest of the band. “Hey guys you were taking a while so- woah!”

Kiki stood up. “Hi guys!”

“What happened to you?” Asked Sour Cream, bending backwards to properly look up at Warp Amethyst.

“I, think Jenny was right when she said my size is linked to how exited I am. I got quite exited right now.”

“How come?” Jenny questioned.

“Oh… No reason.” Kiki answered for the fusion.

“I see.”

“Do you think you can shrink down a bit?” Asked Sadie. “I don’t think you’ll fit through the door like this.”

“I don’t think I can.” Warp Amethyst grinned. “Don’t worry, I just thought of a place more my size. I’ll see you all later!”

“You’re going?” Kiki frowned.

“I have to, everything here is too small, besides, I’m scaring people.” The fusion pointed to the club. The previously full line outside had scattered, the poor bouncer was jittering with his radio. “Bye!” “With that, Warp Amethyst started to run down the street.

“Be careful!” Jenny yelled after him.

“Watch for traffic!” Sour Cream added.

He gave them four thumbs up as he ran. Despite his great size, Warp Amethyst didn’t so much as scuff the street he ran along, for he had inherited Pilot’s grace, awareness, and soft steps. There were few cars on the street due to how late it was, those few the fusion encountered, he danced elegantly around. The people sleeping in beachside hotels and their homes barely stirred as a lilac giant dashed merrily past.

Warp Amethyst stepped onto the beach and with his next step he was running on the surface of the ocean waves. The fusion kept going, running farther and farther out to sea until Surf City was only a line of pretty lights far behind him. Warp Amethyst leapt forward into a roll.

On the coast, a lighthouse saw a sudden blaze of purple appear before slowly shrinking and disappearing over the horizon.


	19. Training Dreams 4: Interruption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Steven sleeps, he makes leaps and bounds in his training with Archibald, the first Pilot. Unfortunately, his training is disturbed by a psychic invader. This invader brings Steven back into the waking world to face an enormous threat. Is the danger what it seems though?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: All underlined text is translated from the language of giants.

Steven Stood at the breakfast bar, gazing out of the window at the night sky. He was unconcerned with the crashing behind him, he picked up a comic book he had been rereading recently and wandered over to the couch. He was almost at the end, so he flicked through the last few pages. He closed the comic and turned it over to observe the cover again.

From behind the booklet slid the barrel of a revolver. With a sigh Steven put the whole affair in a bubble and dropped it on the coffee table before jumping away. The pistol blast ricocheted inside the bubble, tearing the comic apart.

“That comic was limited edition!” He complained.

“Well good thing this is all happening in this is all happening in your mind Steven.” Archibald pocketed his gun and strode over from the area around the warp pad.

“Right. How am I doing?”

“Well, very well. Let’s take a break.” Archibald sat down on the couch as Steven floated down beside him. Archibald pulled out a steaming cup of coffee and a box of durian juice from his jacket. He handed the box to Steven.

Steven’s eye caught a badge the old man wore. It looked like a cross made from a vertical plane propeller and a pair of feathered wings. “Where’d you get that?”

Archibald twisted his jacket to look at the insignia. “This old thing? It’s from before.”

“Before what?”

“Before all of this. Before the hound, before the Pilot, before I discovered the warp, when my hair was chestnut not grey. Before I was anyone for the multiverse to care about, I was a sergent in the United States Army Air Service.”

“You were a soldier?”

Archibald nodded. “Right up until I got a purple heart.”

Steven raised an eyebrow. “Your heart’s purple?”

“No Steven, it’s a medal you get when your injured in combat.”

“How were you injured?”

“Plane crash, could’ve died. It was a long time ago Steven. I’m not one nation’s pilot anymore. Let’s talk of the present. How’s Pilot doing?”

“He’s good. He and Amethyst have gone to a dance club in Surf City tonight.”

“Good for them! I’m glad to hear you’re all taking my advice about having fun.”

“Yeah!” Steven agreed. “Just today, Connie and I were-,” Steven stopped. He became fearful. Something was stirring in the back of his mind. “Archibald, something is trying to get into my head.”

Archibald grew serious and level in his expression. “Steven, turn the maze’s entrance toward the intruder. I’ll help keep them contained.”

Both edged to the temple door, the doorway which faced the void. Archibald wielded his crowbar and gripped the revolver in his pocket. Steven summoned his shield. The temple door opened, the void yawning beyond.

In the distance was a comet of pink and green mist rocketing towards them. The green mist rimed over the pink like a split shell, within the pink mist were tiny spots, black as the void. The instant the comet passed the threshold of Steven’s mind it coalesced into humanoid form.

Archibald saw Steven relax and lower his shield. “You know this melon Steven?”

“Yes, I made them by accident a while ago, they’re from this society with other watermelon Stevens.”

The watermelon Steven ran up to Steven and fell to their knees before him. “Raara!” They panted.

“Whoa there!” Steven exclaimed, helping his creation to their feet. “Are you alright?”

“Did you know they had psychic abilities?” Archibald enquired.

“I’ve sometimes accidently possessed one while I was asleep.” Steven posited. He returned his attention to the melon. “Lets get you to a chair, you look exhausted.”

The watermelon Steven shook its head furiously and entered a panicked tirade of noises. “Ra! Ra raa ra ra! Raa ra ra raraa!” They waved their arms wildly and breathed heavily.

“I, I don’t understand.” The boy admitted apologetically.

“May I try?” Asked Archibald. He took Steven’s place in front of the watermelon Steven and gave a reassuring smile. “Now then, my fine pepo, you simply can’t expect people to understand what you’re talking about if you come in here raving like a melon gone mad. Here,” he held out a water bottle, “have a drink of water, take a deep breath and start again from the top.”

The watermelon gave a glance to Steven for confirmation.

“Go ahead, it’s fine.” Steven assured.

The watermelon Steven took the water and drank gratefully. They took a few deep breaths before speaking more calmly. Steven still couldn’t understand, but Archibald nodded and occasionally asked questions before urging the plant to go on.

Archibald turned to Steven. “You should probably go with them. Something has been sighted off the coast of their island and they’re worried.”

Steven nodded. “Absolutely, see you later then Archibald!” He approached the watermelon Steven. “Lead the way.”

The watermelon Steven grabbed him by the hand and lead him back out through the temple door and through the void.

Two little black eyes opened to the stars, unobstructed by artificial lights. From experience, Steven knew he was again in the body of a watermelon Steven for some reason. From the body’s position it seemed the poor creature had fainted like a demure lady of old timey novels. He felt sand beneath him. He sat up. He saw a yellow star painted on his chest.

He was on the beach.

Steven stood up and got his bearings. He stopped as he looked out to sea.

Standing on the surface of the ocean was a huge humanoid creature. Steven stepped cautiously to the shore. He recognised its figure to be similar to Amethyst, he knew who had the power to walk on water. He shouted as loud as he could muster. “Ra Rarara!?”

Warp Amethyst cocked his head to his shout. “Oh yeah, I forgot Mask Island was around here.” He turned and raised his hands non-threateningly. “Sorry to disturb you!” He grinned. “I come in peace!”

Steven waved them in.

Curiously Warp Amethyst walked to shore and knelt on the beach. “You’re an awfully brave little guy. I could have been here to eat you for all you know.” He gnashed his teeth playfully.

Steven pointed at his chest, trying to explain it was him. “Ra, ra ra! Ra ra!”

The fusion looked down at their own chest. “Oh, you must have recognised Amethyst’s gem from when she helped beat Malachite, no need to thank me. I’m Warp Amethyst.”

Steven realised this this fusion’s excitable tone combined with the language barrier would make meaningful communication next to impossible. He sighed. “Ra ra ra rara ra?”

“I, ah, didn’t quite catch that buddy.”

Steven sighed again. He pointed at the fusion. “Ra!” He pointed down at the beach. “Ra!” He gave a questioning shrug “Ra?”

“Why am I here?” Warp Amethyst interpreted.

Steven nodded.

“Oh, you should have just said so! I’m off to see one of Pilot’s friends in another dimension. I wanted to head out to sea in case anything dangerous tried to slip through.” He stood up and turned out to sea before turning back with a chuckle. “Come to think of it, you probably have no idea what I’m talking about. You probably don’t even know who Pilot is. Why don’t you come with me?”

“Ra?” Steven asked surprised.

“Why not? It’ll be fun. I’ll get you back here before sunrise.”

Steven thought for a moment then nodded. “Ra ra!”

With a huge smile Warp Amethyst held out his hand for Steven to climb on. He put the melon on his shoulder and started walking out to sea. “You know, you remind me a lot of Steven. Not just because you have the same shape. He’s brave like you too. If he’d just hone the fundamentals instead of relying on his gem powers, he’d be unstoppable.” He held out his hand to open up a portal. “You know, I sort of feel bad going out on adventures without my apprentices. There isn’t a tribe of cantaloupe Connies around here somewhere is there?” He stepped through the portal laughing.

His laughter was cut short by a loud, commanding shout in a language unknown by Steven. “Halt! Identify yourself!”

Steven looked at the speaker in shock. He and his fellow guard were perhaps a foot or two taller than Warp Amethyst, their skin a similar, purplish grey. Both wore scale mail, short cloaks made of sailcloth, and centurion-style helmets. The male guard had a somewhat unkempt grey beard that reached down to his chest, the female guard, a similarly coloured ponytail, coming out from under her helmet. Lightning seemed to crackle in their emerald eyes as they reached for the greatswords on their backs.

Fortunately, Warp Amethyst spoke Giant. “It’s me! Pilot! Sort of. I’m friends with Serissa.” He was unfazed by the giants before him as the portal behind him closed to a tiny point of light.

“I believe I would remember the princess having a friend with four arms. What are you trying to pull?”

Steven, not understanding the conversation looked around. The room seemed to be ancient. The floor was wet with seawater and there was a deep pool near where the giants stood. The room was lit by a moderately sized ball of cold blue flame hovering above an empty sconce. Behind the guards was a giant-sized spiral staircase from which echoed the music of a pipe organ and a beautiful voice singing a haunting melody.

Another voice echoed down the staircase. “Pilot? Is that you?” Down the stairs came another purple-grey skinned giant. She wore elegant but functional short, dark robes of sailcloth and her hair was tied into a single long braid. Her smile became a look of confusion as she saw the fusion. “You aren’t Pilot.”

The guards drew their swords.

“I sort of am!“ Warp Amethyst raised his hands defensively, pointing at the line on his headband. “I’m Pilot combined with a friend of his. Call me Warp Amethyst!”

“I see.” The princess replied, unconvinced. “Prove it, tell me something only Pilot would know.”

Warp Amethyst thought for a moment. “Your favourite food is sea urchins, red ones. You took a century to master the forward roll. When you were in the giant equivalent of your early teens you had a crush on one of your guards, I believe his name was-.”

Serissa barrelled past her guards and slapped her hand over Warp Amethyst’s grinning mouth. “Okay! I believe you!” She stormed embarrassedly. Her face quickly calmed into a small but passionate smile. “I believe you.” She noticed the small green humanoid keeping balance on the fusion’s shoulder. “Who’s this?”

Warp Amethyst glanced at his passenger, switching back to English. “Oh right! This is Watermelon Steven. Watermelon Steven, this is Princess Serissa, daughter of Hekaton, King of the Storm Giants.”

Steven gasped and, remembering his manners, did his best to genuflect. “Ra rarara!”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She said softly. “My father is throwing a banquet right now, would you two like to join?”

Warp Amethyst checked with Steven, getting a nod, and gave their answer. “Sure.”

One of her guards eyed the fusion suspiciously “Are you sure Your Highness? I have never seen a giant such as him and no omen warned me of his arrival.”

“He is no giant Nimir. He is an honoured friend, one who saved my life.” Serissa lead her friend up the stairs.

When they were out of earshot Warp Amethyst grinned anew. “That was Nimir?” He teased quietly.

“Oh, shut up!” She chuckled.


	20. The Banquet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having crashed and subsequently gained invitation to a party hosted by Hekaton, Storm King of the giants, Warp Amethyst and Steven (in a watermelon body) feast among giants of all kinds. Rare is the occasion that so many giants are present in Hekaton's undersea halls. For what reason had he summoned them all? Perhaps the extradimensional visitors had stumbled onto history unfolding.
> 
> That would be a shame, Warp Amethyst was only there for the party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: All underlined words are spoken in the giant tongue.

At the top of the stairs was the promised banquet, giant tables crafted of oversized oyster shells were laden with seafood of all kinds on coral platters, drinks were plentiful as well, enough to fill the matching coral chalices again and again. The room was illuminated from a great window of thick crystal through which could be seen whales, shoals of fish, and a great bioluminescent reef. The room was crowded with giants of all shapes, sizes, and colours, all of them were finely dressed, whether it be in masterwork armour or great flowing robes. They stood around the tables watching the performance by the window.

Two storm giants performed on stage. One wore a fabulous sea green dress and a headdress formed from a large conch shell lined with gold. Her blue hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. She held a bouquet of marine sponges and corals as she sang spine chilling arias. The other giant had paler skin, almost as pale as the white robes she clothed herself in or her white hair, held out of her face by a gilded coral coronet. She provided musical accompaniment on a living instrument, a crab of monstrous size with flutes of coral growing from its broad back. The pale giantess danced back and forth like a ship’s flag in a storm, taping the creature’s shell with bone mallets, producing tones like that of an organ. 

There was a momentary pause as the performers saw Warp Amethyst emerge from the stairwell, when they saw Serissa guide him to her table they resumed their song.

Steven pointed at them. “Ra ra ra?” He asked into Warp Amethyst’s pointed ear.

“Them? They are Mirran and Nym, Serissa’s older sisters. Speaking of, Serissa, where’s your mum and dad?”

“The king and queen retired to the throne room with my uncle Uthor about an hour ago.”

Steven pointed down at the table. “Ra Ra ra raa?”

“You want to get down?” Warp Amethyst asked.

Steven nodded.

“Alright, but don’t leave this table.” He set him down on the oyster shell table. “Not all of these giants are as… polite to little people as the storm giants, even if you weren’t a walking piece of fruit.”

Steven glanced around at the menagerie of giants apprehensively before sitting on the rim of a platter between Warp Amethyst and Serissa.

Warp Amethyst and the giants ate quietly during the performance, Steven tried a bit but found that seafood did not agree with watermelon physiology.

When their performance ended, Mirran and Nym bowed to the applauding audience and retired to their sister’s table.

“Well performed my sisters.” Serissa congratulated.

“Speak nothing of it. Some of us have to keep our guests entertained.” Replied Nym, her white-haired sister. “You always were more the exploring type.”

“Speaking of,” Mirran, the blue-haired eldest sister spoke, “which reef did you scrape this off of?” She dipped he wine chalice toward Warp Amethyst, who was winkling the meat out of a giant crab claw. “Is it your new suitor?” She joked cruelly.

“Imagine what father would say.” Nym added dryly.

“No Mirran,” Serissa smiled proudly. “Do you remember Pilot?”

Mirran’s smug grin dropped a bit. “Your imaginary little friend?”

“Here he is. I told you I didn’t make him up.” Serissa often tried not to gloat, it only wound up Mirran. But what could her eldest sister say now, when the evidence was directly in her face?

Mirran furiously fought to maintain composure.

Nym ran her eye over the fusion. “He is… larger than you described him.”

“Makes sense,” Warp Amethyst replied, waiting for her to get right in his face so as to better startle her. “Pilot fused with one of his friends to be this size so he wouldn’t have to clamber all over your furniture.”

“You speak the Giant tongue!” Nym stated with dull interest. “You say he fused? What do you mean?”

“He and his friend combined to make me. Call me Warp Amethyst.”

Suddenly Mirran leapt back and pointed as if she had seen a rat. “Sister! There’s something crawling on your plate!” She raised her hand to swat Steven. The room’s attention was drawn to her shriek.

Serissa blocked her hand. “Sister no! This is Watermelon Steven.”

“Watermelon Steven?” Mirran parroted.

Warp Amethyst scooped the little animated plant up in his hand and held him up. “Yeah, my friend.” He did not bring Steven any closer to Serissa’s sisters.

Steven bowed to the pair of them. “Ra rara. Ra rara.”

“Oh!” Mirran exclaimed. “I suppose you are quite sweet.”

“So Warp Amethyst,” said Nym, “According to Serissa you saved her from a dragon turtle.”

“Pilot kicked it in the eye and swam like hell. Not particularly heroic.”

“And yet without your bravery I would be dead.” Serissa told him.

Down a wide hallway, an immense set of stone doors were opened. Out stepped Uthor, uncle to the princesses. He was a lean storm giant with a trim blue beard and short hair. In his hand was a ceremonial trident. He strode down to the banquet hall. He cleared his throat with a sound like rolling thunder and the din of giants eating and drinking stopped. He made his announcement loudly and clearly, his powerful lungs and a small amount of magic driving the message to all corners of the sunken castle. “King Hekaton commands you all, all those currently present in Maelstrom to attend His Majesty’s throne room!”

The giants all set down their cups and cutlery and followed Uthor as he made his way back the way he came.

“Will you two be coming?” Serissa asked Warp Amethyst.

“I suppose we should.” He shrugged. “After eating his food, it would be rude to not hear what he has to say. It might be interesting.” He put Steven on his shoulder.

“Don’t get your hopes up.” She grinned. “He’s probably going to talk about politics for half an hour.”

The room Warp Amethyst, Steven, and all the giants filed into was like an amphitheatre. The lesser giants found their places and sat on the stone bleachers, Warp Amethyst sat on the front row near the door. the steps faced a pool of seawater and three giant sized thrones. While the two outer thrones were clearly beautifully crafted of coral and seashells, the central throne rivalled the seats of the Diamonds for the title of most imposing throne Steven had ever seen.

It was carved from obsidian with motifs of bones and reptiles. Blue runes glowed from parts of it. The four feet of the throne were each capped with the skull of a one horned dragon. It hovered an inch off of the ground, thrumming with magical power. It was the Wyrmskull Throne.

The throne’s occupant, who Steven correctly assumed to be King Hekaton, made the throne all the more daunting. He was a broad-shouldered old storm giant with a thick beard and flowing grey hair. He wore heavy robes and an understated but regal crown. In his hand he held a sceptre, its head shone like a full moon.

Uthor sat himself in the throne to his brother’s right. The throne to Hekaton’s left was occupied by his wife, Queen Neri, a graceful giantess in a green dress, less extravagant than her eldest daughter’s, and her hair split into twin braids long enough to reach her knees standing up. The princesses stood either side of the throne, Serissa to her mother’s left, Mirran and Nym to their uncle’s right.

The audience sat silently for Hekaton’s address. “I greet you all, counts and countesses, dukes and duchesses, jarls, thanes, and chieftains. I greet you all as my brothers and sisters in the ordning. May you all live to see the All Father’s return.”

The giants of the audience gave the traditional reply. “This I wish upon you as well.”

“Before I continue, I do not recognise one of you before me.” The king held out his hand towards Warp Amethyst. “Who is this being?”

Serissa stepped forward and turned to her father with a bow. “He is a friend of mine, father, do you remember my telling you of Pilot?”

“I do.” The king nodded, now less concerned and more interested.

“The being you see before you is him combined with one of his friends. The being calls himself Warp Amethyst.”

“I see. I am sorry to have doubted you in his existence.” He waved Serissa back to her place and looked upon the fusion. “Warp Amethyst, I have heard much of Pilot’s assistance to my daughter, I would speak to you in private later.”

“Sure thing Hekaton!” For his lack of deference, Warp Amethyst received many disapproving looks from others in the audience and Serissa’s elder sisters. “Can Watermelon Steven come too?” He pointed to the passenger siting on his shoulder.

Hekaton recalled how overconfident his daughter had described her imaginary friend to him and smiled. “I don’t see why not. Does he speak Giant?”

“No. He understands the common tongue though.”

Queen Neri turned to her husband. “How will he understand your announcement my love. One of us should translate for him. May I?”

Hekaton knew of his wife’s love of small folk and gave his consent. “Very well my dear. Watermelon Steven, my wife Queen Neri offers to translate my words for you. You may approach the Wyrmskull Throne.”

Steven turned to Warp Amethyst, confused. “Ra ra ra ra?”

“Go ahead. Siting among giant royalty is a once in a lifetime opportunity for sentient fruit.”

Steven considered then nodded. When Warp Amethyst put him down, he sprinted across the room, stopped to bow before the royal family and then approached the queen’s seat. He was unsure if he was expected to climb the throne itself, or perhaps Neri’s dress. Both seemed impolite, not to mention difficult with a watermelon Steven’s stubby mitten hands.

Neri beckoned him with her finger. “Arise.” Her voice tapped into the primordial magic of her storm giant blood.

Suddenly Steven was lifted by a warm, salt laden updraft which carried him about fifteen feet upwards.

The queen gently plucked him from the air and placed him on an outcropping of coral on her throne by her head. “There we go. Are you comfortable?”

“Ra ra!” He nodded.

“I will continue now.” Stated Hekaton. He turned to address the audience. “I have held this feast for you all for a reason.”

Warp Amethyst shrank a bit. He knew most speeches that started this way often lead to politics, which he found frankly boring.

“We are gathered for an occasion of historic importance!”

The fusion shrank a bit more. Likely the formation of an alliance between two giants he neither knew nor cared about.

“I have consulted the omens, and the path forward for our people is clear to me.”

The fusion was now the shortest person in the room apart from Steven. He had changed his guess; it was probably a minor semantic change to ancient religious doctrine.

“It is time for me to name my successor.”

Warp Amethyst’s height grew to match some of the smaller giants. There was a two in three chance that one of Hekaton’s daughters was about to become insufferable and the suspense made his nerves tingle with excitement.

“The heir to my throne, and your future queen is…”

Warp Amethyst, Steven, the audience, and Hekaton’s daughters all waited with bated breath. None had come to Maelstrom that night expecting an announcement of such magnitude.

“Serissa!”

Warp Amethyst immediately grew to full size as he joined the giants in cheering and applause.

Hidden in the cacophony of the audience was Mirran’s explosion, unheard by all seated away from the throne apart from those with sharp kelmepi ears. “What! Father, I’m your eldest!”

Her father gave her a warning glare, tinged almost invisibly with apology. He loved Mirran, as he did all his daughters, but the omens had shown him that her temper would make her a poor queen.

Not daring to argue farther with her father in front of their guests, Mirran stormed out through the doors they had all came in by.

The display quieted the audience.

“I shall fetch her, father.” Said Nym, calmly perusing her sister. Inside she was equally furious at being passed over.

Hekaton shook his head with a sigh. He turned to his brother. “We shall continue.”

Uthor got up from his throne and gestured for his remaining niece to sit.

She did so with only some trepidation.

Her father spoke out to the audience. “All you giants gathered here have sworn fealty to me. I command you now to do the same to my daughter, your future queen.”

The giants all got out of their seats. Warp Amethyst checked that Steven wasn’t moving to swear anything. Happy his ward was doing no such thing, he caught a storm giant by the shoulder. “You couldn’t have somebody come get me when this is done could you? I’ll just be in the hall.”

While the giant scowled at the fusion’s refusal to pledge loyalty, she nodded with understanding. “Very well. I’ll send a hill giant.”

The giants formed a winding line. They ordered themselves by status, at the front were storm giant guards, at the end were hill giants, comparatively short and fat with unevenly tanned white skin. Each giant knelt before the throne and pledged fealty to a slightly overwhelmed Serissa before moving into the bleachers to wait for the others to take their turns.

Warp Amethyst slipped through the doors almost unnoticed. He re-entered the dining hall, picking up a rather large shucked oyster in one hand. He made his way over to the window, taking in the view. “Well Serrisa, I can’t think of a better queen of the giants.” He raised the oyster in a toast. “Here’s to you.” He swallowed the oyster meat before absentmindedly crunching down on the shell. “Chorus curse Amethyst’s instincts.” He chuckled.

For about a quarter of an hour, he was alone, suddenly the doors opened. Warp Amethyst turned to the sound.

The giantess who approached had ice blue skin covered in scars, Warp Amethyst recognised her as a frost giant. She wore armour made from gleaming human-sized shields lashed together and a great steel helm with small horns pointing back. She bore a cloak of dinnerplate-sized white scales. Like many of the giants, she was armed, in her hand was a double headed greataxe.

“You…” She growled.

“I had been expecting a hill giant.” He replied matter-of-factly.

“You claim to be an ally to princess Serissa.”

“I am her friend.” He corrected, already knowing where this was going.

“Then why abandon her when she asks for your loyalty?” The giant flashed her axe blade at him.

“I’m standing outside for her.”

“How is your spinelessness for her sake?” She hissed.

“If her friend verbally refused to swear fealty in front of her subjects, people wouldn’t respect her.”

“So you admit it!” She spat. “I will bring the court your head, traitor!”

Warp Amethyst only sighed wearily. “We’re going to fight, aren’t we?”

“Yes.” The frost giant grinned.

“Not here though.” He stated.

“You think I’ll show mercy to your cowardice?”

“I think you’ll show mercy to Hekaton’s dining room.” He mirrored her grin. “Downstairs.”

With a nod, the giant went with him down to the room he had entered the fortress by. Once in the room the two stood against each other, four giant paces between them.

She gripped her axe in both hands. “You came to a giant’s stronghold unarmed?”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Warp Amethyst reached for his gem, the stone glimmered, and… nothing. He tapped his gem a couple of times; no whip was forthcoming. “Well shit, I guess I did!” He laughed at himself before raising his four fists. “Oh well!”

With a roar, the frost giant raised her axe above her head and charged him.

Suddenly Warp Amethyst’s ponytails came to life. They leapt up to wrap around the axe’s haft, catching the giant off balance on the upswing.

“What sorcery is this?”

“It’s not magic, it’s me!” Warp Amethyst beamed, landing a two-fisted punch to the torso hard enough to send the giant staggering back. He repositioned his footing, as his hair let go. “By the way, I want you to know, I’m not a traitor!”

“What?” She came charging back in.

“Technically I can’t be a traitor! I’m not a giant, Serissa isn’t my princess, she’s my friend!” He rushed toward her and clutched her axe, wresting it from her grasp and throwing it on the floor.

“Then why won’t you promise her your loyalty? Stop smiling!” She planted a fist directly into the fusions excited face. As he reeled back, she gripped him under the arm and on the hip. She turned and, with a yell of exertion, threw him into the far wall. She picked up her axe, expecting to simply finish his broken body.

Supporting himself on the wall, he got up. “Sorry about the smiling, I’m part Amethyst, we’re made to fight!” He looked her straight in the eyes, apart from a bruise about as big as the smile he still wore, he was fine. “As for your question, I’ll help Serissa if she asks, I just don’t let anyone rule over me.”

“Do you think yourself superior to the princess?”

“I know this will be hard to understand, with the ordning and all, but I believe in equality.”

“I’ve heard enough of your hubris! You are a mockery of the All-Father’s creation!” She charged.

Warp Amethyst revved up, becoming a wheel of purple flame.

As the wheel sped towards her, the giant grounded herself and took the impact head on, blocking him with her axe’s haft. Despite her great strength, her feet slowly slid backwards along the wet stone floor. She thrust out with her axe, pushing her spinning opponent aside.

The fusion started circuiting the room around her, the walls were replaced by purple flames with thin streaks of blue light. He started to close in. “Last chance! Put down your weapon and take up your grievance with your king!”

“I do my king’s justice!” She roared defiantly. Her axe came down precisely above Warp Amethyst’s head.

At warp speed, Warp Amethyst uncurled from his roll and ducked away from the blade. He leapt up, balancing one-handed on the giant’s head. “Helmsplitter!” An instant later the giant was sprawled on the ground, Warp Amethyst’s foot driven into her helm. The fusion stepped off. The helmet broke in two as he lifted his foot. He bent down as he checked that the giant was breathing. “I’m sorry it came to this.”

She let out a gasp. Suddenly she gripped her axe. The being standing over her was more powerful than even his size suggested, had it not been for her helmet his kick would have burst her skull.

Even as Warp Amethyst staggered back, the giant landed a gash on his bicep. He held his arm and walked into the room’s corner, near the staircase. “So I do bleed.” He noted to himself, leaning on the wall, catching his breath. His wound shone with harsh purple light and seeped a very small amount of dark indigo blood, far less than a wound its size should bleed. He noticed his opponent stand. “Now now. I’ve wounded you, you’ve wounded me, we’re even. Let’s just agree to disagree and go upstairs.”

With a furious yell, the giant charged once more. With a splash she fell into the deep pool of seawater Warp Amethyst stood upon.

The fusion stood up from the wall and extended his ponytails into the water. The giant tried to swat them away with her axe while swimming up to strike him from underneath. But the water made her axe sluggish and Warp Amethyst’s hair moved like eels, wrapping around her arms and neck and lifting her out of the water. As she came up, he snatched her axe. He balled his free hands into fists.

“Warp Amethyst! Hellenhild!” Queen Neri demanded. “What is the meaning of this?”


	21. Meeting the Storm King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight is over, Warp Amethyst agreed to speak with Hekaton and it is rarely a good idea to go back on the promises made to any giant, especially their king. Fortunately, Hekaton has nothing but gratitude towards Warp Amethyst, for Pilot had saved his daughter’s life. As much as folk fear the wrath of an angry storm giant, they should perhaps know better the generosity of one who is grateful. Food is plentiful, ale and wine flows like water. Of course, Warp Amethyst wouldn't drink, that would be a bad influence on Watermelon Steven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Underage Drinking

Warp Amethyst gently put Jarl Hellenhild the frost giant down on solid ground. He turned to the storm giant queen as he passed his opponent’s axe to of his now unoccupied animate ponytails.

Queen Neri stood at the bottom of the staircase. Interposing themselves between their queen and the combatants were a pair of storm giant guards. On one of their shoulders was Watermelon Steven.

“We had a disagreement.” Warp Amethyst explained. “This is how she wanted to resolve it.”

Neri only nodded, she knew how quickly frost giants could descend into violence. “Well, this fight is over. You two should come upstairs, King Hekaton’s address is over and the others have re-entered the Great Hall. Warp Amethyst, please return the Jarl’s weapon unto her.”

Warp Amethyst’s hair held the axe out to its owner, who took it somewhat crossly as they both followed the queen and her retinue upstairs.

“Ra ra ra rara?” Asked Steven critically.

“Sorry dude.” Warp Amethyst replied. “It kinda got out of hand.”

As they re-entered the Great Hall, the dining giants bowed to their queen but were wise enough to not pester her for why she had come up from the lower level with two moderately injured guests. The only giant who approached was a hill giant in similar mail to the storm giant guards. He waved his hands up at warp Warp Amethyst. “Storm giant tell Cog tell big purple four arms big purple four arms can come back!”

“Thanks Cog.” He nodded.

Cog made his way back to his place in the banquet.

“Shaldoor,” the queen commanded one of her guards, “Kindly see to it that Jarl Hellenhild’s wounds are tended to.”

“Hang on.” Warp Amethyst ordered. One of his ponytails gently plucked Steven off Shaldoor’s shoulder before she led the jarl away. He put his companion on his own shoulder. “There you go.”

“Warp Amethyst, with me.” Neri instructed.

“Am I in trouble?” He asked the queen good humouredly as he followed.

She shook her head slightly. “If you haven’t forgotten, my king wished to speak to you.”

Just before they left the dining room, Warp Amethyst’s hair picked up a few morsels from the table.

“You are still hungry?” Queen Neri asked, not missing a beat.

He brought forth his hair to reveal a few red sea urchins. “I couldn’t see your daughter at the banquet, thought she might be hungry.”

“How kind.”

Queen Neri led the fusion into the throne room. It was deserted. Warp Amethyst gestured to the Wyrmskull Throne as he followed the queen into a hallway behind it. “Aren’t you worried somebody’s gonna try to make off with that?”

“It’s warded against theft.” The queen assured him.

He followed her down the corridor and right, up a set of stairs to a council room, walls lined with sea charts. The queen pushed on an empty section of wall, it swung back like a door to reveal a dark spiral staircase. “Wait here.” Neri commanded her remaining guard. The rest of them descended.

At the bottom of the staircase was a room not unlike the room Warp Amethyst had just fought in but bigger, mostly empty save for a large pool of seawater. Sticking its head out of the pool was a killer whale, cooing and whistling happily as its beak was pet by Serissa.

“You know some killer whales make themselves vomit to attract more fish!” Warp Amethyst grinned.

The princess didn’t look up, she tried not to laugh, snorted, and doubled over laughing. “Eww! Not in high society they don’t! Where did you even learn to say that in giant? I didn’t teach you that!” She got up, saw Neri, and immediately tried to contain herself. “My apologies mother, that was crass of me.”

The queen chuckled slightly coming over to her daughter. “He caught me off guard too.”

“Ra ra ra rara rara?” Asked Steven.

Warp Amethyst repeated his factoid in English.

Steven stuck out his red, wedge shaped tongue to show his disgust.

As Warp Amethyst stepped out of the shadows the gash on his arm and the bruise on his face became apparent to Serissa. “What happened to you!” She exclaimed, horrified. “Wait here! I’ll be right back!” Serissa ran through a stone door on the other side of the room, coming back again almost as quickly holding a few strips of kelp, and a clam shell about as big as her hand.

“I’m fine, really.” Warp Amethyst insisted in English, trying to assure both Serissa and Watermelon Steven. Nevertheless, he let Serissa sit him down on the ground and sit beside him.

“Nonsense.” She chided. She scored the kelp she brought with a human-sized longsword from her belt. “The gel in this kelp stings a bit, but it prevents infection.” She wrapped the kelp around his arm like a bandage.

“Thanks, I bought you some food from the banquet.” He offered the urchins.

Serissa took the gift and put them in a pouch on her belt. “Thank you. Now how did this happen?”

“I got into a fight with a frost giant.”

“Jarl Hellenhild.” Neri specified.

“What was the fight over?” Serissa picked up the clamshell and opened it, revealing that it contained a green salve and a piece of marine sponge to apply it with. She started applying the medicine to Warp Amethyst’s bruise.

“She didn’t understand that I can’t swear fealty to you.”

Serissa paused.

“You know I can’t do that, right?”

She nodded. “Yes. You are not a giant, you have no place in Annam’s ordning. It would be maug of me to try and make you a part of it.”

“Ra?” Steven questioned.

“Maug, it kind of means bad or wrong.” Warp Amethyst explained. “It’s more complicated than that. The opposite is maat.”

Serissa put the sponge and clam down. “I’m sorry you got wrapped up in these affairs.”

“It isn’t your fault.” He insisted, standing them both up.

“My subjects shouldn’t expect me to demand assistance from a non-giant.”

“Hey now! Who said anything about me not helping you! I may not be your subject Serissa, but I am your friend, in fact…” he took her hand and dropped a tiny object into it.

“What’s this?”

“Sorry it’s so small, you can loop it over your ear if you get a wizard or something to make it big enough. If you press the little blue button on the side and talk, Pilot will hear you. You can call him for help with it.”

“Thank you.”

“Anyway,” Warp Amethyst asked, “is your dad about? He wanted to talk to me.”

“He went to try and talk things over with Mirran. You may not have noticed, but when I was declared his heir, she was… well…” Serissa trailed off.

“I noticed. How about you? Did you know he planned to declare you queen before he announced it?”

“No, he told only my mother and my uncle Uthor beforehand.”

“Are you alright with it? Being queen?”

She did not answer immediately, and when she did, she spoke slowly. “Yes. I understand the workings of court well enough and I know how to fight to protect my people.”

“You aren’t a fighter though.”

“I can be!” She argued surprised by her friend’s apparent belittlement.

“I know.” He replied calmly. “But take it from me, from a fusion of two fighters, even with everything Pilot knows and Amethyst’s people skills, I would suck as a leader. You have weapon’s far greater than that wooden maul of yours.”

“I see what you’re saying, thank you.” Serissa smiled. “But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. I shan’t be queen for a long time yet, Annam willing. When the time comes, I will be able to rely on the rest of my family and advisers. Perhaps I could rely on you?”

Warp Amethyst gestured to the earpiece. “Sure, just ask!” He paused and listened intently.

“What wrong.”

“Nothing. Somebody’s coming. It’s your dad.”

“How can you tell?”

“I assume only the residents of Maelstrom know about the secret door?”

“Yes.” Serissa confirmed.

“That means its either a storm giant or one of the two hill giants you have hired. Beside the fact I doubt you’d trust either of them with a secret, the steps are too heavy for a hill giant. I can’t hear the chink of armour so it’s not a guard, and neither of your sisters wear sandals, which I can hear the distinctive slap of.”

“You have sharp ears Warp Amethyst.” Said Hekaton, standing in the threshold.

“Few giants are famed for their subtle approach.” The fusion grinned turning to see him. His grin fell to a look of pity as he saw his expression.

Gone was the domineering glare with which the Storm King held together his court of mismatched giants. His face was a statue, his mouth a flatline. His emerald eyes, though they shed no tears, held a sadness only a father’s guilt could bring.

His wife came to his side. “Mirran, is she…”

“No, she will not speak to me yet. I have left her in the care of Nym and the new advisor.”

“New advisor?” Warp Amethyst asked Serissa quietly.

“Her name’s Iymrith.” The princess told him.

“What’s she like?”

“She’s wise, companionate, she doesn’t trust small folk that much, but she had some bad run-ins with human pirates before she came to Maelstrom, so I suppose I understand.”

Hekaton noticed the two whispering and intervened. “So, Warp Amethyst, I have heard about Pilot and his exploits from my daughter, but what of your other part? What are they?”

“Oh, Amethyst is a friend of his, she’s a gem.” The fusion explained. “Gems are these people who can fuse with each other to combine their personalities and power. Pilot only learnt he could fuse with gems a little while ago, the two of them only fused for the first time a couple of hours ago.”

“Warp Amethyst, this is your first night of existence?” Neri realised.

“Yeah! I’m having fun! Thanks for having me!”

“You’re welcome.” The king replied. “But this Amethyst, is she where you inherit your size from?”

Warp Amethyst laughed. “Nah! She’s the president of the Shorty Squad! She’s about this big!” He gave a relatively accurate sign of her height with his fingers.

“Then how do you come to share our height?”

“I’ve been doing some experimenting with my powers.” He explained. “I think I grow and shrink depending on how exited I am.”

“So you are exited? You seem fairly level.”

“I’m hiding it, so I don’t sound insane.”

“I suppose we all restrain our emotions for that purpose.” Hekaton admitted. “But can you truly be exited right now? We’re only talking.”

“We’re talking next to a pool containing a tame whale, in a chorus preserved underwater castle, above us are giants of all kinds and above them is a whirlpool half a mile across! My friend was just declared a future queen, today is going great!”

“I’m glad to hear you think so.” Said Hekaton. “But alas I have held off on the real subject I wanted to discuss. According to Serissa, Pilot saved her life.”

“Oh, he kicked a dragon turtle in the eye and swam off. Hardly brave of him.”

“He could well have been killed. He risked his life for my daughter despite not knowing her. Surely such heroism can’t go unrewarded?”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m glad to have Serissa as a friend, she taught Pilot how to speak giant, and now I’m eating your food! Friendship, knowledge, and food, who could want for more?”

Hekaton managed a chuckle. “Indeed, well you shall have to eat a great deal of my food to have consumed the value of my daughter’s life. I shall keep you no longer, go and enjoy the banquet, you too Serissa.”

Serissa, Warp Amethyst, and Steven on his shoulder took the king’s advice and went back up to the banquet hall. As they entered, Serissa and Warp Amethyst both received coral chalices of fine wine. The fusion almost turned it down before shrugging with a smile.

Once they had gotten to their table, Uthor, who had positioned himself at their table to, drew the room’s attention with a thunderous clearing of his throat. “I would like to declare a toast, to my niece and our future queen, Serissa! May the All-Father take pride in her works!” he raised is goblet.

“To Serissa!” The chorus of giants, added to by Warp Amethyst, was deafening. Almost as deafening was the silence of a hall full of giants draining their cups.

They all refilled their drinks, and other giants took the opportunity to toast other things; King Hekaton, his wife, Serissa’s sisters, Annam All-Father and the retinue of other giant gods, recent victories, and heroes of old.

On one such toast Steven managed to catch a whiff of what his friend was imbibing. It was not a smell he immediately recognised. He looked around. Many giants did not look quite as steady on their feet as they had earlier. Three giants in plate mail with charcoal black skin and flame red hair were singing loudly and off key together.

Suddenly Hellenhild raised her chalice. Her voice slurred so much to have been almost indecipherable if she hadn’t been so loud. “To Waaarp Amethyst! He maaay not bee a giaaant, but he daaaamn well almost fights like oneee!”

“To Warp Amethyst!” The giant’s roared, even the ones who disapproved of the fusion, they were too inebriated to care.

As Warp Amethyst again raised the cup to his lips Steven yelled directly into his ear. “Ra Rarara! Ra rarara rara ra!”

The fusion turned his head in surprise. “Oh! Watermelon Steven, I almost for- forgot about you! R-right!” He slightly woozily left the table and headed for the stairs.

“W-wait!” Called Serissa, also slightly tipsy. “You can’t go now!” She chased him down the stairs.

As she reached the bottom, she found Warp Amethyst stood before a portal. Though which was a sea and a lush tropical island cracked in half. Warp Amethyst looked over his shoulder, passing his goblet to the giantess. “I’ll be right back.” He stepped out across the water before arriving on the beach. With one of his hair tendrils he took Steven off his shoulder and set him down on the sand. “Afraid things are getting a little i-intense in there, I probably won’t be able to look after you. Did you have fun?”

Steven nodded.

“Good.” He turned to head back to the portal.

“Ra!” Steven called.

The fusion turned back. “Hm?”

“Ra raa raa!” Steven shouted, he pointed in the direction of the mainland and Beach City. “Ra raa!”

Warp Amethyst looked in the direction he pointed. “Oh, right! Mum and Pearl will be worried.”

Steven nodded, glad he had been understood. “Ra!”

“I’ll call them before heading back to the party.”

“Ra?” Steven realised the fusion hadn’t understood them at all.

“Ok, lets fire up the old clothes phone.” He started overenunciating his words “I am, am not drunk, I don’t sound drunk, I don’t sound d-drunk to you do I?”

With a fed up scowl, Steven pointed homeward again. “Ra raa!”

“You’re right! I can just text.”

Steven facepalmed.

“And done!” Warp Amethyst ran back into the portal.

“Ra!” Steven yelled. “Ra Rarara! Raa raa! Ra raa!”

The last thing Steven saw through the portal as it closed was Warp Amethyst taking his chalice back from Serissa.

With a defeated sigh, Steven lay down on the beach. He had to leave this watermelon Steven’s body, wake up, and get the remaining gems so they could figure out a way to fix this.

His release of the high fructose vessel was disturbed by a massed cry. “Raaaaa!”

Steven sat bolt upright as spear toting watermelon Stevens charged en mass out of the jungle undergrowth. They screamed and threw spears at the area where Warp Amethyst had stood.

One watermelon Steven ran up to him.

Steven flinched defensively.

They laid a broad palm leaf over his shoulders as one might a blanket on a victim of shock and gave him a wooden cup of warm coconut milk. They also took the liberty of erasing the star from Steven’s chest and applying the under-eye warrior paint the rest of them had.

Before Steven could fully comprehend what was happening, a second wave of his creations came. These had the star symbol on their chests and were unarmed, indeed their arms were spread wide as if to embrace.

One of the new wave distracted the combative watermelon Steven watching over him. Another came up from behind and hugged him. “Ra rara. Ra rara.” They told him reassuringly. They also wiped off the warrior paint and returned Steven to his original colours.

Around Steven was disarray. Star-chested melons stood in front of the warriors, grappling them with embraces and stalling their advance. In return, the warriors screamed in their faces and waved their spears around. Sometimes a warrior would break down in furious crying, sinking to their knees in defeat, other times a peaceful melon’s resolve would break and they would flee.

Steven sighed again. He knew that if Warp Amethyst came back while the watermelon Stevens were so divided and riled up, somebody would get hurt.

“Put an end to tribal warfare in less than a night.” Steven thought resentfully. “Sounds like the perfect job for Steven Universe!"


	22. Washed Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warp Amethyst has had the best (and first) night of his life, celebrating with the giants of Malestrom. Come morning. however, and the fusion finds himself on Mask Island's beach with a headache and one big party favor. Now Pilot has to contend with both a hangover and the judgment of Steven Universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Hangover from underage drinking

In his bed, Steven’s eyes snapped open. Due to his long night in a watermelon Steven, he barely felt rested. Despite this, Steven got out of bed and raced downstairs, not bothering to grab his day clothes.

Downstairs, Pearl and Garnet spoke in hushed tones. “I know he said they’d be back late, but we haven’t heard from either of them for hours.” Pearl complained, holding her mobile. “Do you have any idea where they might be?”

Garnet shifted her shades. “Wherever they are, Pilot lead them there. I can’t predict him.”

Pearl saw Steven coming down the stairs. “Good morning Steven!”

“You’re up early.” Garnet observed. “It’s four o’clock in the morning.”

“They’re on Mask Island.” Steven stated.

“Who?” Asked Pearl.

“Pilot and Amethyst.” He sighed. “They’re… unwell. We have to go get them. Now.” Despite his words, his tone was more aggravated than urgent.

Without even showering or getting changed out of his PJs, Steven brought the gems down to the beach. Pearl summoned forth the Gem Sloop and a life jacket for Steven before they all cast off toward Mask Island.

A couple of hours of sailing later the boat drew close to the island. New to the gem’s eyes was a small area of the beach cordoned off by a fence of spears. The fence lost some of its imposing stature due to the fact it was only waist high. Within the compound were two large masses, one about twice the size of the other, covered by blankets of woven together leaves.

Pearl strained her hearing. “Is that… snoring?”

“Yes.” Steven replied.

They sailed onto the beach and pushed the boat in to keep it from floating away.

Two watermelon Stevens stood at an opening of the fence. One had a spear, the other heled its arms open. When Steven and the gems approached the compound entrance, the unarmed watermelon Steven blocked the entrance while their fellow guard menaced the intruders with their spear. “Raa ra raara!”

Pearl and Garnet went for their weapons, but Steven held out his hand to stop them. “The password is ra ra ra.”

“Ra!” the guards stood aside.

Steven entered the compound, followed by Pearl and Garnet.

“Steven, how did you-?” Pearl stopped as she saw the biggest lump for what it was, a woman, over twenty-five feet in height. “What on earth is this?” She crept over to her. “They can’t be a human, they’re far too big, and I don’t believe they come in this colour.” She poked the purplish skin of the giantesses. “Unless skin dyeing and size increase is a new human fashion Steven? Like hair dyeing?”

“No, it isn’t.” Steven replied. “Pearl, you probably shouldn’t be doing that.”

Not really listening, the gem hopped up onto the sleeping giant’s chest. “Of course, Steven. Now she can’t be a gem, no no, too many biological features.” She lifted up the blankets and robes a bit.

“Pearl, that’s a really bad idea!” Exclaimed Steven.

At that moment the giantess awoke. She sat up with an alarmed shout and inadvertently sent Pearl tumbling down onto the beach as she got to her feet. “Who are you! What do you want? Where’s Warp Amethyst?”

“Warp Amethyst?” Pearl questioned.

“I’m over here!” out from under the other great blanket came the fusion. “They’re friends, we’re all friends! Everybody calm down!”

Out of the forest, curious about the commotion, came a larger group of watermelon Stevens, a mixture of both kinds.

“These people are your friends? Good.” She sat down on the beach, clutching her skull. “Ah, it feels like Stronmaus has made a home in my head. But Warp Amethyst, you have shrunk since last night.”

He nodded in confirmation. “It’s hard to be excited and asleep at the same time.” He also held his throbbing head, only ten feet up from ground level.

“Congratulations on your latest fusion.” Garnet smiled.

“Thanks Garnet.”

“Let’s have a look at you.” Pearl smiled. She circled him. “You seem quite stable. A little bigger than I expected.” She leapt up onto his back. “What are these hairs?” she gave on of the whiskers on Warp Amethyst’s ear tips a gentle tug.

“Ow!” He responded. “Wait a minute…” He felt carefully along his long ears until he reached the whiskered tips. “Only adult male kelmep have ear whiskers… I’m biologically male. I’m biologically male! Wahoo! Ah, my head!” He internally cursed his own volume.

Not really understanding his cause for celebration but happy he was happy, the crowd of watermelon Stevens started cheering loudly.

Warp Amethyst grasped his forehead tighter. “Not so loud.” He complained. In a flash of light, he came apart.

The crowd fell silent.

“Warp Amethyst!” The giant cried.

“It’s alright.” Pilot announced. “It was just getting hard to hold ourselves together.”

“Amethyst!” Pearl exclaimed coming to her compatriot’s aid. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah.” Amethyst nodded. “Head doesn’t hurt at all.”

“Good for you.” Pilot groaned. “I couldn’t have some water, could I?”

“Me too if you wouldn’t mind.” The giant added.

A watermelon Steven came over with a cup, another four came over with a barrel.

“Ta.” Pilot nodded.

“What happened?” Pearl asked. “You said you were going to a nightclub in the next town over! Now we find you fused on Mask Island with a tall human and a headache!”

“Tall human?” The giant questioned, slightly offended.

Amethyst glanced away. “Well, we were at the club, but then we fused. We were too big for the club so we left.”

“Then what?” Pearl interrogated.

“Um… do you want to take it from here fly boy?”

“Sure…” Pilot replied. “We went into a portal and…” His eyes locked with Steven’s one-hundred-percent-done look. “Oh, Steven! Mr. Multiverse! We found a giant woman!” He pointed up at his large companion. “Like the song! You know, all I wanna do is see you turn into-.”

Steven raised his hand to silence Pilot. He rubbed his temples like a man about three times his age might before looking up to wave politely at the giantess. “Hello Serissa.”

Everybody looked at the boy in surprise. “Good morning.” She replied. “I’m sorry, but how do you know my name?”

“My name’s Steven.” The boy explained. “I accidently made the watermelon Stevens a while ago. Sometimes I accidently take control of one of them while I’m asleep. The watermelon Steven Warp Amethyst brought with him last night was being controlled by me.”

Pilot did a spit take.

Steven saw his mentor’s discomfort. “Would you like to talk in private Pilot?”

“Yeah…” He replied hoarsely.

Steven led Pilot into the jungle. Leaving Amethyst to make introductions.

After a short walk into the brush. The pair found a clearing with a fallen tree in the shade. Steven sat on the log and Pilot sat beside him. “So, you saw everything.”

“Right up until you put me on the beach, and then when you and Serissa came back. By the way, I didn’t see the cut that frost giant gave you on Amethyst.”

Pilot rolled up his sleeve, revealing the kelp bandage, tightened and cut to size. He removed it, revealing the partially healed gash.

Steven licked his hand and applied it to the affected area, healing it entirely.

“Thanks.”

Steven shook his head. “When Warp Amethyst went back through that portal, he kept drinking alcohol, didn’t he?”

“I… yes.”

“What I don’t get is why he and Serissa came back through the portal drunk and decided to sleep on Mask Island, doesn’t Maelstrom have guest rooms?”

“It does…” Pilot strained his memory. “I think Serissa said something about wanting to get away from it all for a bit, Warp Amethyst said something about showing her the multiverse, the rest is a blur.”

“Why did Warp Amethyst get drunk?”

“I don’t know. He was caught up in the celebration, ale and wine was being handed to him. All the giants were doing it, I didn’t want to be left out.”

Steven folded his arms. “If the giants all jumped off a bridge, would you.”

Pilot put his head into his hands and laughed. “What are you? My mother?” His head shot up as he realised his awful choice of words. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Steven replied. “What would your parents say though? What would Axia and Mighty Spark say if they knew you were getting drunk.”

“They wouldn’t be happy.”

“Mighty Spark told me you weren’t old enough to drink alcohol.”

“Amethyst is way older than the drink limit. Warp Amethyst took the average.”

“Don’t pretend you know what an average is.” Steven smiled. “But seriously, would Mighty Spark accept that excuse.”

“No. please don’t tell them; I don’t want them to be disappointed in me.”

Steven sat quietly for a moment, listening to the morning insects. “I don’t want to tell them Pilot, I don’t want to rat you out. But this can’t become a regular thing. Alcohol is bad for you!”

“I know, I hardly ever drink, and this is the first time I’ve gotten properly drunk. I’m sorry Steven, I was a terrible role model for you last night and I dragged Amethyst along in my bad decisions.”

“It’s ok, I had a lot of fun before you started drinking.”

“I’m glad, maybe we can visit Maelstrom on a more relaxed occasion.”

“That sounds good.” Steven agreed.

Pilot stood. “Speaking of, I should probably go open the portal so Serissa can go home. She can’t become queen of the giants from Mask Island, now can she?”

They made their way back to the beach where Serissa and the gems were chatting. “This Annam of yours sounds like an interesting person. I would certainly like to meet him at some point.” Said Pearl.

“As would I.” Serissa agreed.

“Hey Serissa!” Pilot called. “You ready to go home?”

“I suppose I should.” She stood up. “It was a pleasure to meet you gems, I hope you will visit some time.” She turned to the crowd of watermelon Stevens. “I thank you for your hospitality and apologise for disturbing you.”

Pilot opened up the portal over the sea behind her. “See you later Serissa!”

“See you then Pilot!” She stepped out to sea, seemingly unimpeded by the water, even as it came up past her waist. She clambered over the portal rim and stood up. She turned and waved.

“Goodbye!” Steven called.

As they all waved to each other, Pilot closed the portal, allowing it to disappear entirely.

“We should go as well.” Said Garnet, pointing back at the Gem Sloop. “We’re supposed to be taking Connie to collect her sword from Meygareath.”

“Right.” Pilot agreed.

They set up the boat for travel, bid the island natives adieu, and set off for home.

“But what did happen to you last night?” Pearl enquired.

Amethyst shrugged. “Eh, I’ll tell you later.”

“When?”

“When Fly Boy here is twenty-one.”


	23. Gearing Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Pilot and Amethyst safely returned, Steven can concentrate on what today is supposed to be for. Today is the day he watches Connie get her new sword from Meygareath, papersmith extraordinaire. In times now past, kelmep would have a ritual on such an occasion. Meygareath is no priest, but she misses those times now past.

As they sailed for home, the winds and tides showed themselves to be less in favour of the Gem Sloop’s course. Pilot offered to take the rudder, promising a faster journey, but Steven, remembering Mighty Spark’s warning against letting the kelmep drive, turned him down.

Steven checked his phone. The minutes until Connie was to be dropped off at his house seemed to drain away, land nowhere in sight. He considered risking taking Pilot up on his offer. “Are we nearly there yet?”.

“We’ll be home in time.” Garnet guaranteed.

Steven knew he could trust her future vision but he still worried. “Okay.” He looked over the side of the boat, at the great expanse of blue. “I wish I’d bought my ukulele.”

“I think I have a harmonica in here.” Pearl reached into her gem before pulling the small instrument out. “Here you go Steven.”

Steven took it and started to play pleasant tunes to pass the time.

Pilot subtly inserted a set of earplugs, still suffering from his hangover.

After three hours of sailing, they homed in on land and Garnet steered the ship toward Steven’s house.

As the boat touched upon the shore Priyanka’s car arrived on the beach. Connie, in a t-shirt and shorts, vacated from the back, saw Steven, and ran toward him.

Steven disembarked and ran through the foam and across the sand to meet her. “Connie!”

“Hey babe!” She beamed, hugging him. She relaxed her embrace somewhat. “You guys have a cutter? Or is it Pilot’s?”

“A cutter?”

Connie pointed to the boat, the remaining occupants getting out to follow Steven.

“Oh, right! Yeah, that’s the Gem Sloop.”

“Sloop? Who named it?”

“Pearl, I think. She keeps it in her gem.”

“I didn’t think she could keep things that big in there.”

As if to prove the girl wrong. Pearl’s gem shone upon the vessel lifting it into the air and condensing it into a thimble sized ball of light. The light floated gracefully into her gem.

“It’s not that surprising.” Steven told his girlfriend, arm over her shoulder. “I went into her gem once.”

“You’re smaller than the boat Steven.”

“Just wait until my muscles come in!” He joked, curling his free arm. “I gonna be huge!”

“Oh, Steven!” She pantomimed a swoon, fanning herself for effect, making them both break into chuckles.

“Mr. Universe?” The voice of Connie’s mother broke them apart. “Are those your pyjamas?” The menace to her voice suddenly vanished entirely, and she bore a bemused smirk. “Suits you.” She teased kindly.

Steven looked down at himself with embarrassment. “Ah! Sorry Dr. Maheswaran! I had a really busy morning! I’ll be right back!” With that, Steven sprinted off to his house to do his belated morning routine.

The gems and Pilot caught up with Connie just as Doug joined his wife. “Good morning Doug, Priyanka.” Pearl politely greeted.

“Good morning.” Priyanka replied. “So, where have you been sailing? Steven said he had a long morning.”

“Yes well, Amethyst and Pilot went out to a new dance club in Surf City last night. We had to pick them up from Mask Island this morning. How they got there…”

“Mask Island?” Priyanka questioned.

“It’s an island out at sea.” Her daughter explained. “A bunch of watermelon Stevens live there.”

“Watermelon Stevens?” The doctor shook her head, realising she had found herself in the weird deep end of the ‘Steven pool’. “Never mind. How did you two end up there?”

Amethyst looked to Pilot for the answer.

The rational part of Pilot’s mind knew Priyanka had no idea what alcohol was and thus couldn’t suspect him at all. The part of Pilot who was a teenager sneaking home after a night of underage drinking recalled her reputation as a strict mother and panicked a bit. “Well, I. Priyanka! You aren’t wearing your medical coat! And Doug! Those shoes aren’t the ones you stand around all day doing security work in! Could it be that you guys are coming with us today?”

“If we can.” Doug replied. “Connie’s getting a new sword from your sister. That’s a big occasion, right?”

“I’d say so.” Pilot agreed. He turned to Connie. “Do you have the old sword? I think Meygareath will want it back.”

“Right here.” Connie confirmed. She took the sword out of her pocket and let it unfold.

After a few minutes, Steven came out of the house in his regular day clothes. “Sorry about that!” He called.

“Don’t worry about it!” Priyanka called back. She looked around. “So where is Meygareath?”

“Out in the countryside with Peridot, Bismuth, and Lapis.” Pilot informed her. “She moved in with them only yesterday. We’ll take my ship, let’s go.”

“What about Mighty Spark and the diamonds?” Steven realised. “Aren’t they coming back today?”

“Yes Steven. He’s opening a portal there.” With that, Pilot lead the others onto his ship.

“Good morning everyone.” Axia announced as they boarded. “Pilot? Where were you last night?”

“Out at Lights Up.” He replied, taking the helm.

“I thought you only intended to stay until just past midnight.”

“One party lead to another.” He pulled a spontaneously appearing door handle to close the ship’s door and pulled on a generator chord to start the ignition.

“Are you sure you should be flying?” Priyanka interjected. “Driving tired is the leading cause of accidents.”

“Don’t worry, I’m conceptually aligned to vehicles.” Pilot assured her. “I have literally flown this ship in my sleep before.”

“First occurrence on 18th of May 2012.” Axia confirmed. “He travelled 40 kilometres to nearest cat shelter before I realised, he was unconscious at the helm.”

Pilot pulled up on a small lever and the ship heaved itself into the air before propelling itself onward. The journey was by no means long, almost as soon as they had lifted off, they were landing on the fields laid out before the compound that had come to replace the barn. Pilot opened the doors and let the engines rest.

As the visitors disembarked, Bismuth was the first to greet them. “Hey what’s up guys? What do you think of the new place?”

“This place is amazing!” Steven exclaimed.

“You guys made all of this yourselves?” Connie asked, fascinated.

“You got that right!” The gem said proudly. “We have a wind generator to provide power and once I’ve brought some of my forge stuff over, we’ll really be in bismuth! I’d like to see those diamond upper crusts build something like this with their own hands!”

As if on cue, a little spark of blue light appeared in the air some small distance away. The spark expanded into a portal through which a vast rocky badlands could be seen. The portal grew farther until it was big enough for Yellow and Blue Diamond to step through followed by Mighty Spark, juggling what looked like a golden shelled pill bug the size of a baseball. While the bug was in the air, Mighty Spark quickly turned and drew his fist into his chest, closing the portal entirely. Not missing a beat, he turned and caught the bug, continuing to juggle it.

Steven jumped up to be in the diamonds’ line of sight. “Hey Blue! Hey Yellow!”

Both diamonds flinched for a moment, their instincts still on high alert. Blue recognised the boy first. “Steven!” She beamed.

Yellow carefully caught Steven in her open hands. She seemed almost manically happy to see him. “Oh Pink! I missed you so much. I was-!” She saw the lesser gems at her feet, including Peridot and Lapis, and instantly became less emotional. “Concerned you might get into more trouble.”

Pilot unexpectedly landed beside Steven in the Diamond’s palms, having had Amethyst throw him. He had a very mischievous grin. “So, how was the Gourmet World?”

Yellow Diamond’s face straightened farther. “I don’t know what the fuss was about. True, the ecosystem was somewhat more threatening than that of Earth’s, but still nothing to a diamond.”

“Maybe we could all go some time?” Steven suggested. “It sounds like a cool place for Connie and me to do wilderness survival training.”

Both diamonds paled with horror. “No!” Yellow almost screamed, it was the first time Steven, or almost anyone else there for that matter, had seen her genuinely afraid. She regained composure quickly. “No. I think it may be too dangerous for you at the moment.”

“What do you mean?” Steven questioned.

“She’s right.” Blue corroborated, equally shaken by Steven’s suggestion. “Especially since you’re half human.”

“Mighty Spark is entirely human!” He pointed out.

Suddenly, Mighty Spark caught the bug between his palms and span it with enough friction for it to momentarily catch fire. He snuffed out the fire with his hands, leaving it roasted. He jumped up to the Diamond’s height. “They have a point Steven.”

Yellow put Pilot and Steven down alongside Mighty Spark.

“The Gourmet World is more dangerous than anywhere on this planet.” Mighty Spark explained.

“How dangerous?” Connie asked.

“Well, if you and Steven went there as you are now…” He thought for a moment, “you’d both be dead in ten minutes!” He smiled.

Slightly put off by his smile, Connie nodded. “I see.” She pointed to the cooked bug. “What’s that?”

“BB pill bug.” He told her. He cracked open the creature’s shell on his knee before taking a fold up fork from his pocket. “Native to area seven of the Gourmet World.” He started to dig into his meal.

“What does it taste like?”

“Pretty good. Kind of like crab with a texture like cabbage if you juggle it enough.”

“Can we try some?” Asked Steven

Mighty Spark knowingly looked to his son. “What is our rule boy?”

Pilot smiled back. “If you can’t get it yourself, we aren’t sharing with you.”

“What?” Exclaimed Connie. “But you just said Steven and I couldn’t survive in the Gourmet World!”

“I said you couldn’t survive as you are now.” Mighty Spark corrected. “The three of you are definitely on your way to being ready to survive anything, you’ll be there before you know it!”

“Three of us?” Steven questioned.

“You, Connie, and Pilot, who did you think I meant?”

“Hang on!” Pilot argued. “I’m more than ready for the Gourmet World!” He struck his fist into his palm to display his confidence.

“Oh really?” Mighty Spark raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah.”

Steven, sensing a brawl about to start, stood between them. “Speaking of improvement, shouldn’t we go get Connie’s sword?”

“Of course!” Mighty Spark agreed.

“Yeah.” Pilot begrudgingly complied. 

“I’ll just get her.” Said Bismuth. The gem entered the compound. About a minute later, Bismuth came out with Maygareath. The gem carried a moderately sized box under one arm, the kelmep carried a small rack with spools of paper ribbon wrapped around it.

“Hey sis!” Pilot called. “How’s the new home?”

“It is good, the hammock reminds me of my time sailing.” Meygareath replied. “Are we ready to start?”

“Start?” Pilot questioned.

Bismuth laughed. “Meygareath wants to hand over Connie’s sword in a ceremony of some sort.”

“Just for old time’s sake.” Meygareath insisted.

“Can I do my stuff first?” Asked Bismuth. “I don’t really know how these kelmepi rituals work and I’d rather just hand it all over than risk messing it up.”

“Your stuff?” Pearl questioned. “I thought you two worked together on Connie’s sword?”

“We did.” Bismuth agreed. “But we ended up making more than that. Peridot! Pilot! Come grab your stuff.” She opened her crate as the pair approached. “First, Pilot.” She took out a long, flat box from the larger box. She opened the lid revealing twenty metal darts. “Just like you asked, if you need more, just ask.”

“Nice! Thanks Bismuth!” Pilot took the box and removed a dart to inspect it. Though most of the dart was metal, the tip was a pinkish crystalline substance and the flight appeared to be blue and black paper. Out the back of the dart was the braid of six hair thin copper wires. “Mum, attempt uplink.”

Suddenly the wires unwound themselves and flexed searchingly. “Wired uplink responsive.” Axia confirmed.

“Great work.” Pilot nodded he started to take out the darts closing his hand around them, vanishing each one in turn.

While Pilot put away his new tools, Bismuth turned to Peridot. “So Peridot, I’ve finished those upgrades to your lid I told you about.” She took out the trash can lid and described the evident modifications. “I removed the rust, I’ve secured and provided better grip on the handle, I’ve also coated the inside with ferrochrome.”

“What does it do?” The green gem asked, observing her perfect reflection on her previously dull lid.

“It reflects laser fire.”

“Wow thanks! What are these?” Peridot pointed to the four pairs of rings at attached equidistantly around the edges of the lid.

“Oh, those are to hold these.” Bismuth reached into the box one last time to take out four pistol shaped items. Each one was comprised of a thick, green, hexagonal barrel and a black grip, the parts joined by a thin strip of blue. The devices had no triggers and no external signs of a mechanism.

“Are those guns?” Priyanka exclaimed. Internally she questioned herself, she had come here to witness her daughter receive a sword, a weapon deadly in the hands of all but the most masterful practitioners of the art. Why was she suddenly concerned with the presentation of firearms?

“Railguns.” Pilot corrected, taking two of them to test their weight. “Warp Peridot will fire flashbangs out of them, totally non-lethal. Probably.”

Peridot took the remaining two and holstered them in the metal rings. Pilot handed her the two he had and she did the same with them before hopping aboard to become accustomed to the alterations. “Hey Pilot! You want to come test this out?” She held out her hand.

“Actually, I was hoping Pilot would stay.” Meygareath interjected. “I wanted you to show Connie how it’s done.”

“Oh, of course. Sorry Peridot. Maybe later.”

“Connie! Would you come here to receive your sword.” The papersmith called.

Connie approached. “So, what do I do I?”

“Don’t worry,” Meygareagth told her, “just mirror Pilot, I’ll do the rest.” She stepped away to address the audience. “Now, traditionally, this ceremony would be performed by a Koraskelm. Since there are no priests present, I shall be performing the ritual as best I can.”

Pilot quietly stepped over to stand beside Connie, he leant over to her and spoke quietly. “Just so you know, none of this is strictly necessary, we’re doing this mostly for her sake.” He jerked his head towards his half-sister, her back to them.

“That’s fine.” Connie whispered back. “She’s done a lot for me, making this sword.”

“Thanks. But still, Connie, this isn’t your faith. Nothing particularly binding or intrusive should happen, but if you feel uncomfortable just say and we can skip it, no judgement.”

“Alright.”

Meygareath returned to them. “Now, before one may speak of combat, one must ensure wellbeing.” She nodded to her half-brother.

Pilot put his hands together and stuck his elbows up and out. Connie copied him.

“Now I’m going to lift your shirt up a bit.” Meygareath informed Connie quietly. “Is that alright?”

“How high are you going to lift?” Asked Connie.

“Just enough to expose your stomach.”

“Alright.”

With the girls permitation, Meygareath turned around and picked out a wider, shorter length of paper, coloured silver and teal with the barest hints of pink, magenta and gold.

“Worried about Steven seeing your training bra?” Pilot teased quietly.

While Meygareath was laying the ribbon over her hand with her back turned, Connie gave Pilot a quick thump in the side.

Meygareath turned back around with the length of paper. She lifted Connie’s shirt and pressed the paper to the girl’s stomach, just below her navel. “In English, this is known as a band of armament.” She migrated around to Connie’s back, tying the band in a firm square knot. “It does not make you invulnerable, but it should make you resilience comparable to the gems you fight alongside.” She lowered the girl’s shirt over the band.

The band did not feel tight or constrict her breathing, but it seemed to cling so tightly to Connie’s skin so as to almost be part of it. Suddenly, a thin layer of pure conceptual resilience washed over Connie’s skin like a millimeter-thick tide, she felt tougher, yet not restricted in movement. She felt the sense of security she expected being contained in a suit of full plate armour brought.

Pilot started to lower his arms when his half-sister suddenly lifted up his shirt and jacket. “Huh? Hang on a minute!”

She held up a slightly longer Band of armament, coloured black and glimmering blue. “You don’t think I’d leave my brother undefended, do you?” She went behind him and tied the band.

“Thank you.”

“Good thing you weren’t wearing your animal print binder.” Connie noted snidely.

“How did you…”

“Saw it in your closet.” She explained. “Saving it for a special occasion?” She wiggled an eyebrow suggestively. “With Kiki?”

Pilot gasped in surprise before chuckling quietly. “Man ah labakir serva Connie!” He said jokingly.

Connie was momentarily stunned by his language before quietly chortling back. “I think Pearl and Steven would die if they heard you talking like that.”

He shrugged. “You’re a big girl, you can take it.”

“When you two are quite finished.” Meygareath scowled disapprovingly at her brother before returning her attention to Connie. “We should move on to your sword. First of all, could I have my mother’s back?”

“Of course. Here.” Connie took out the paper sword, unfolded it and presented it to its maker.

“Thank you.” Meygareath took the sword and gently rested it on the rack before turning back to face Connie, Pilot, and the audience. She cleared her throat. “Koras, yeva ah hurrok eh yeva kikuruvasha laba ahmosstvasha, amosstkir ye-ep len a yerok eh yeva kikuruvasha. That is a small excerpt of the prayers of a kelmepi warrior. It reminds us that by holding a weapon we not only grant ourselves the ability to fight, but also the chance to choose when not to, and when to show mercy. Are you ready Connie, daughter of the Doctor and the Sentinel, to take up the responsibility such a right to choose gives?”

Connie looked to Pilot for what she was supposed to say.

“Don’t look at me.” He smiled. “What do you think.”

Connie looked back to Meygareath. “Yes, I’m ready.”

Meygareath nodded. She turned and grabbed the end of a much longer spool of a narrower paper ribbon in the same colours as Connie’s band of armament.

Pilot held out his right hand. Connie mirrored him.

Meygareath held her bone folder between her thumb and forefinger and the tip of the ribbon between her forefinger and middle finger. She lay the ribbon along Connie’s outstretched palm and over the back of her hand, running over it with the bone folder as she went.

As the bone folder passed, the paper stuck fast to Connie’s skin. Some part of Connie, what Meygareath would call the swordsman’s “vasha” or “spirit”, flowed into the paper, making it feel as an extension to her.

Once the first loop had been made, Meygareath stopped applying the bone folder. She wound the paper around Connie’s hand and wrist like a fingerless glove. With a final tuck, she was done. “This is your sword.”

Connie inspected the paper on her hand. “Thank you. How does it work?”

Meygareath came to her side and gently moved Connie’s hand from her face. “Relax the ribbon.”

To start, Connie wasn’t sure what Meygareath’s statement meant, but then it came to her, the ribbon loosened for a moment before suddenly wrapping around itself to form a blade. The weapon was short and thick, styled after a gladius, it was clearly built mostly for thrusting. Somehow the colours of the paper had rearranged themselves. The blade was teal with hair thin striations of silver, the grip entirely teal, the semi-circular pommel was entirely silver, and the guard, shaped like an inverted star, was silver edged with gold. “Wow!” Connie exclaimed. “How does it work?”

“It is a ribbon of memory. It holds six swords of Woman-Bismuth’s design. I suggest you become familiar with them so you can call the right one at a moment’s notice.”

“I made three for you and three for Stevonnie!” Bismuth explained from the audience. “Both of you have a light and heavy sword for fighting gems and a disarming sword in case you have to fight something else.”

Connie relaxed the ribbon and tried for her disarming sword. The sword unravelled and rebound itself as a light, thin sabre. It was slightly longer than the gladius but had the same colour scheme, the star shaped guard was the right way up with a golden guard to protect the fingers extending from the outer point of the star, looping round to the circular pommel. “Nice!”

The papersmith smiled before returning to her rack to grab a similarly dimensioned ribbon in Pilot’s colours.

“Uh, Meygareath?” Said Pilot, retracting his hand. “You remember how I said I don’t want a sword or anything?”

“It isn’t a weapon.” She insisted, gently pulling his hand back toward her. She rolled up his sleeve and made a loop around his wrist, sticking the paper to him with her bone folder. She proceeded to wrap the paper around his wrist an forearm, moving back and forth. The ribbon ended up being a great bit longer than Connie’s but no matter how much was wrapped on, it didn’t look or feel bulky.

“What is it then?” Pilot enquired once Meygareath was finished wrapping and pulled his sleeve back down.

“Xatteriir Teriirman.” She told him.

“A ribbon of traversal?” He exclaimed excitedly.

“What’s a ribbon of traversal?” Connie asked, curious.

“Kelmepi sailors used them to get around ships all the time.” Pilot explained.

“Yes, but traveling by ribbon takes years to truly master.” Meygareath told them. “I’m not sure if it will be immediately-.”

Pilot whipped his arm like he was casting a fishing rod. Suddenly the ribbon flew out of his sleeve and stuck to the top of one of the three pyramids forming the compound. He grabbed the ribbon and gave it a quick pull. The ribbon began reeling in, swiftly pulling him up to the top of the building. He hung from the ribbon standing on the steep roof. “I think I got it!” He shouted before rappelling down. A flick of his wrist and the ribbon unstuck and wrapped itself up in its resting position. “So, Steven! Connie! Let’s test out our new equipment.” He formed one hand into a fist and beckoned with the other.


	24. Rematch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With cooler heads and new gear to test out, Pilot and Stevonnie take another crack at their sparing match. Stevonnie may be a fusion with Diamond heritage, but Pilot has some tricks up his sleave. More than simply who wins and loses, this fight will determine their readiness to face Homeworld.

Steven and Connie answered their mentor’s challenge with a flash of light. Stevonnie summoned their shield. “Time for round… how many is it now?”

Pilot shrugged. “Somebody should really have kept a record.”

“Twenty-three!” Pearl called. “Eighty-three if you include Steven and Connie’s fights!”

“Who’s winning?” Stevonnie asked.

“There’s no need to be competitive.” Pilot insisted.

“Pilot has one victory over you.” Pearl recalled.

“Booyah! In your face!” He exclaimed. He caught himself and cleared his throat. “I mean, that’s nothing to be ashamed of considering how much longer I’ve been training for.”

Stevonnie flicked the paper sabre in their hand and its form shifted. It became a double-edged longsword, pink blade striated with teal. The winged guard was gold with a silver inverted star in the middle, the pommel on the end of a teal grip was magenta with a silver rim. They smirked. “Might make it even today.”

Pilot chuckled back.

“Pearl?” Priyanka asked quietly. “Shouldn’t this be kept to the arena.”

“Real combat won’t take place in the arena.” Mighty Spark noted.

Priyanka was about to respond when Pilot spoke. “So, you ready?”

“You bet.” Stevonnie smiled, stepping well away from the others.

“In that case…” Pilot grinned, “come get me!” Pilot shot his hand up, his ribbon caught the top of the crane a second later he stood on top of the equipment, above his opponent.

“What?” They said with a surprised laugh. “Hang on!” They ran over to the crane, holding their shield above their head as Pilot threw flashbangs dawn upon them. They got to the crane and clambered up on top of the cab. They looked up the crane’s arm to find Pilot gone. “Where’d you go?” Suddenly the hairs on the back of Stevonnie’s neck stood on end, just in time, they cut a flashbang out of the air.

Pilot made a loud raspberry from his new location, on top of the compound, balanced on the pointed tips of one of the pyramidal abodes.

Stevonnie narrowed their eyes. “Seriously?”

He waved smugly.

Stevonnie laughed at the ridiculousness before jumping down and sprinting over to the base of the building. “This is definitely against some rule of engagement! In a fair fight I would’ve wiped the floor with you by now!”

“Not much incentive for me to fight fair then, is there?”

With a humoured sigh, Stevonnie threw a couple of shields up at Pilot.

Pilot flexed and bent at angles that made the fusion wonder how he kept balance, dodging the projectiles.

Stevonnie put on an authoritative tone. “Pilot, so help me, if you don’t come down here and fight like a man-!”

“Why don’t you come up here and fight like a kelmep?” He retorted.

Stevonnie didn’t summon a new shield. Instead, they gripped their sword in both hands. The weapon grew, it maintained its colour palate, but it was now half again as long as they were tall, the straight silver crossguard had a golden star on either end, the great pink and teal blade was curved with a single edge. Stevonnie bent their legs and sprang into the air.

Pilot looked surprised as he came face to with his apprentice. “You know, your jumping ability somehow completely slipped my mind.”

Stevonnie drew back their sword to slash.

“Hang on!” He pointed to the sword. “Is that Mihawk’s sword?”

Stevonnie quickly glanced back at the blade and realised he was right. “So it is. Ten second break?”

“Sure thing Hotshot.”

Stevonnie descended, flailing their legs to slow their fall. They called out to Bismuth and Meygareath. “This sword is made to look like Hawkeye Mihawk’s!”

Bismuth shrugged. “Steven told me about meeting him on Gloomy Island and I was inspired.”

Stevonnie grinned. “Well, here’s hoping I get as good as him one day.” They sprang back into the air turning her attention to Pilot. “Now, where were we?”

Pilot ducked under the slash and slid down the side of the building. He turned just in time to sidestep Stevonnie’s overhead slash.

They swept the blade after him.

Despite the blade’s size and weight, Stevonnie had the strength and dexterity to control the weapon perfectly. Even with their skill, Pilot repeatedly dodged out of the way of the weapon.

He threw a punch that Stevonnie raised their arm to block just in time. “I know that big swords are flashy,” Pilot instructed, “but you are always going to be slower with a more cumbersome weapon.” He kicked the fusion in the chest, sending them staggering back a few feet, before jumping out of range of reprisals.

Stevonnie recovered quickly. “You realise I have the greater reach right?”

Pilot flicked a flashbang at them. It exploded on their shoulder with a force similar to one of his punches, not much for a tough fusion like them but noticeable.

“Hey, I think my band of armament has stopped working.”

“Of course it has, you are tougher than the protection the band provides.” He flicked another flashbang.

Stevonnie did their best to block and duck the explosives as they tried to close the distance.

Pilot kept running away, throwing flashbangs as he went.

As Stevonnie swung their sword upward to deflect a flashbang, Pilot’s ears twitched. He sidestepped a huge blade of air as it sliced the green turf where he had stood. He traced the split ground to its source. “Hang on, how did you do that Stevonnie?”

“I- I don’t know.” The equally surprised fusion replied. “Was it a new gem power?”

“I don’t think so.” Pilot answered. “I didn’t see your gem glow and Pink Diamond wasn’t made to use a sword. I think it was an air slash.”

“A what?”

“Razor wind, hawkwave, kamaitachi, sword beam, call it what you will. In some universes, master swordsmen can create blades of pressurised air to cut from afar.”

Stevonnie suddenly became quite excited. “Does that mean I’m a master swordsman?”

“I don’t know.” Pilot replied. “Can you do it on purpose?”

“I don’t know, give me some space and I’ll try.” Stevonnie swept their blade, trying to mimic the slash that had sent forth razor wind. Nothing. They tried again to no avail. “I guess it was just a fluke.” They concluded glumly.

“Hey, don’t let it get you down. Maybe you aren’t a master yet, but even doing it by accident means you’re a pretty great swordsman.” He put a hand on their shoulder.

“Will pretty great be enough to survive on Homeworld?”

“We aren’t going there to fight. Once we’ve dealt with the black spindle, it will all be talking, and if anyone is a master at getting people to change their mind, it’s you.”

“Thank you, Pilot.” Stevonnie smiled.

“Do you want to keep fighting, Multiverse?” Pilot asked.

Stevonnie’s sword shrank and narrowed into a rapier. Its cup guard was shaped like a silver star with a gold border, oriented so it could be best seen by looking down the sword’s narrow pink blade. Stevonnie took a couple of steps back and pointed the rapier at him. “Let’s go.”

Pilot threw a punch only to be dissuaded by a rap on the back of his hand by the rapier.

Stevonnie flicked their blade artfully putting Pilot on the retreat. They trust slightly too far allowing Pilot to sidestep the weapon and grab their wrist. He raised his free hand to strike but Stevonnie beat him to it.

He flew a good few yards from the punch rolling back onto his feet after landing. Not missing a beat he threw a handful of flashbangs at the fusion.

As Stevonnie raised a shield to block them, Pilot used the distraction to slide underneath at warp speed. He grabbed Stevonnie’s ankle as he went through, pulling them down. He turned to kick them while they were down.

Stevonnie rolled aside and onto their feet. As Pilot turned, they grabbed him by the collar and pointed the sword at them. “I win.”

“Are you sure?”

Stevonnie looked down, Pilot’s ribbon was wrapped around their neck, lined with explosives.

“Draw?” Pilot offered.

“Draw.” Stevonnie agreed, releasing him and allowing the rapier to turn back into wrappings around their hand.

Pilot retracted his ribbon and patted them on the back. “I’m glad I got that out of my system.”

“Me too.” Stevonnie nodded. They glanced skywards, knowing that somewhere beyond the blue sky was the stars, and that one of those stars was a galaxy, and in that galaxy was Homeworld, White Diamond, and Roxillan. “Pilot, do you think we’re ready?”

Pilot briefly shared Stevonnie’s look at the sky before leading them back toward the others, towards Connie’s parents and the Crystal Gems, who with Greg had raised Steven in his mother’s absence. They headed toward Pilot’s new father and, in the distance, in his ship, his mother. Standing over them were the diamonds, two titanic intergalactic dictators who they had more or less turned to their side. There stood Bismuth and Meygareath, the craftsmen who had made the weapons and equipment that protected them and expanded their capabilities. Approaching them were Peridot and Lapis, the first gem Pilot fused with and the gem whom he had come to understand just a little better in the past week. Pilot squeezed Stevonnie’s hand. “I think we’ll be fine, what’s the worst that could happen?”

“Yeah!” Stevonnie smiled.

“Hey!” Peridot interrupted. “You guys haven’t seen inside our new place yet!”

“No.” Stevonnie agreed.

“Come in!” Lapis beamed. “We made some new meep morps to decorate!”

Stevonnie looked back one last time, seeing nobody of importance. “Lead on!” They grinned.

As the others went into the building, or stood outside in the case of the diamonds, Meygaraeth quietly bade Pearl hang back with her for a moment.

“What’s wrong?” Pearl asked.

“Nothing.” Meygareath replied. “I have a band of armament for you.” She showed Pearl a length of white painted paper with tiny pictographs evenly spaced among it.

“Oh. Thank you.” Pearl smiled as she raised her arms to allow the papersmith to tie the band around her stomach. She didn’t feel any different. “What a kind gift, thank you.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Meygareath blushed.

Standing above the grass, the hound watched Pilot and his apprentice with desire and loathing right up until they disappeared with their friends and family into the compound. They ignored the gem servant and the hybrid who dallied behind.

The hound’s attention was drawn downwards, to the great score in the earth from Stevonnie’s blade of air. They traced their nondescript fingers along the side of the gash, the dirt didn’t even recognise their presence by crumbling. “Such a killer instinct.” The hound mused. “Perhaps I have been conversing with the wrong apprentice.” They stood, they chuckled dryly. “Converse, Connie Universe. Is that really what you want Miss Maheswaran? To be his? To birth his spawn? To leave him to watch as his children and grandchildren die and crumble to dust?”

Suddenly a portal opened behind him and Archibald stepped out. “Hound? You know neither of us have power here.” 

“Information is power.” Hound responded. “But I suppose I should leave before I take another bullet in the neck.”

“There’s no need for that.” Archibald replied. “I’m here to talk.”

“This again?”

“This again.” He confirmed. “Leave the children alone.”

“No. Their bond is doomed so I will use it to restore ours.”

“You can’t revive one love by killing another.” Archibald replied. “Besides it doesn’t seem all that doomed from my perspective.”

“When was the last time we shared a perspective on anything?” The hound asked cynically.

“Back before I was the Pilot and you were what you are now.” Archibald admitted. “I tried so hard to show you my perspective after I cracked the warp. The nonexistence of-.”

“I’m not listening!” The hound roared.

“You never are!” Archibald roared back tearfully. He took a moment to compose himself. “You never are. If you would just listen to my secret-.”

“I listened to your secret! It burns my very soul like a brand!”

“You only heard part of it, if you hear the rest, you’ll realise all your anger is over nothing! You’ll be happy again.”

“Your secret killed Father Duncan! Is he happy?”

“He only heard part of it too! Please-!”

“No! I will not, cannot hear it again! Not for peace! Not for happiness! Not for love!”

“And this is why you are not my husband.” Archibald said sadly. He took out his revolver. “Now go. Before you take another bullet in the neck.”

Archibald looked the hound in the eyes and for the brief moment before he disappeared, Michel felt alive again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my story, and I hope you'll keep reading. The first chapter of "Take Her Heart, Change Your Mind" comes out on Sunday.


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